Annabe

New Complete
Meal Planner
200 quick, easy and healthy

recipes for your baby

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THE CLASSIC BESTSELLING COOKBOOK FOR BABIES AND

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TODEEER

DELUXE ILLUSTRATED A N D UPDATED EDITION

Anna be1 C9arme1's

New Com
Baby and
Meal Planner

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200 quick, easy and healthy

recipes for your baby

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CHAPTER O N E
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CHAPTER T W O

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CHAPTER THREE

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CHAPTER F O U R

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CHAPTER FIVE

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babiesandchildren and has been translated into

over20 languages.This new edition takes in all
the latest research in child nutrition, includes new
improved versions of the original recipes,25 brand
new recipes and photographs that bring the
recipes t o life.
With go per cent ofjunk food being bought
by parentsfortheir kidsand morethan one in
five under-fours in Britain overweight we need to
bring back home cooking. Forthe past ibyears I've
probably spent more time in the kitchen cooking up
healthy children's meals than anyone in thecountry
and all the recipes are tested on a panel o f babies
and toddlers.With a little bit of help from the book,
you too can be making really nutritious food that's
easy t o prepare and plate-lickingly good. l can also
promise that you and your kids will love the results
without spending hours in the kitchen.
I hope you enjoy the advice and recipes in this book
as much as I have enjoyed creating them. ..

CHAPTER ONE

The best first foods for your baby

Thecurrent UK Department of Health

recommendationsstate that babies should not
begin weaning until they aresix monthsold and
should be exclusively breastfed until this time.
However,this has only recently changedfrom
'between four and six months'. Statistics have shown
thatthe majority o f babies in the UK begin weaning
beforesix months,and most health professionals
recognisethat many babies show signs that they are
ready forweaningat a younger agethan sixmonths.
Thevery minimum ageshould be17 weeks,asa
baby's digestive system won'tfully matureforthe
first few months and foreign proteinsvery early
on may increase the likelihood offood allergies.

It isvery important t o remember,when starting

your baby on solids,that milk is still the best and
most natural food for growing babies. I would
encourage mothers t o give breastfeeding a try.
Apart from the emotional benefits, breast milk
contains antibodies that will help protect infants
from infection.ln thefirstfew months,they are
particularly vulnerabieand the colostrum a mother
produces in the first few days of breastfeeding is a
very important sourceof antibodies which help t o
build up a baby's immunesystem. (If only for this
reason, it is obvious that there are some enormous
benefits in breastfeedingyour child,even for as
little as one week.) It is also medically proven
that breastfed babies are less likely todevelop
certain diseases in later life.

Milkshould contain all the nutrientsyourbaby

needs togrow.There are 65calories in 120 mllqfl oz
milk,and formula milk is fortified with vitamins
and iron.Cow's milk isn't such a'complete'foodfor
human babies so is best not started until your baby
isoneyearold.Solidsare introduced toadd bulkto
a baby's diet,and t o introduce newtastes,textures
and aromas;they also help the babyto practise using
the muscles in his mouth. But givinga baby too much
solid food tooearly may lead toconstipation,and
providefewernutrientsthan he needs.lt would be
verydifficult fora babytoget theequivalent amount
of nutrientsfrom the small amount of solids he will
consume as he gets from his milk.
Don't use softened water or repeatedly boiled
waterwhen making upyour baby's bottle, because
of the danger of concentrating mineral salts. Babies'
bottles should not be warmed in a microwave,as
the milk may be too hot even though the bottlefeels
cool tothetouch.Warm bottles by standing them in
hot water.
Between four and six months babies should
have 500-600 mlI18-2ifl oz breast or infant formula
each day.500 m l l i 8 f l oz is enough when solids are
introduced but it Isn't between four and six months
with nosolids. It's important t o make sure that,up
totheageof eight months,your babydrinksmilk
at least fourtimes a day (especially as it is highly
likely that a bottle may not be finished at each feed).
Ifthe number offeeds is reduced tooquickly,your
baby will not beable todrinkas much as is needed.
Some mothers make the mistakeof givingtheir baby

solid food when he is hungry,when what he

really needs is an additional milkfeed.
Babiesshouldbegiven breast orformula milk
forthe wholeofthefirst year.Ordinary cow's,goat's
or sheep's milk is not suitable as your baby's main
drinkas it doesn't contain enough iron and other
nutrients for proper growth. However,whole cow's
milkcan be used in cooking orwith cereal when
weaning. Dairy products 1ikeyoghurt.fromagefrais
and cheesecan be introduced once first tastes of
fruit and vegetables are accepted and aregenerally
very popular with babies.Choosefull-fat products
as opposed t o low-fat as babies need the calories
for proper growth.

Freshfoodsjustdotaste,smeliand look betterthan

jars of pre-prepared baby foods. Nor is there any doubt
that, prepared correctly,theyare betterfor your baby
(andyou),for it is inevitablethat nutrients,especially
vitamins,are lost in the processingof pre-preparedbaby
foods.Home-madefoods tastedifferent from thejars
youcan buy.1 believeyourchild will be lessfussy and
findthetransitiontojoiningin with family meals easier
if he is used to a wide selection offresh tastes and
texturesfrom an early age.

Organic fruit and vegetables are produced without

artificial chemicals,such as pesticides andfertilisers.
However,there is at present noscientificevidence
that pesticide levels in ordinary foods are harmful t o

young babies and children, but some mothers prefer

not t o takethe risk.lt is an environmentally friendly
option but generates higher prices and it is up t o
you t o decide whether it's warth the extra money.

Genetic modification (GM) isthe process of

transferring genes from one speciesto another. For
example,a tendencyto resist damage from certain
insectscould beimplantedfrom one planttoanother.
More research is needed t o know whether genetic
modification can improvethequality and availability
of cropsorwhetherthecostto humans and the
environment outweighs any benefit. Ifyou wish to
avoid CMfoods,consult the labels as by 2005 it will
be compulsoryto declare CM ingredients.

Proteins
Proteins are neededforthegrowth and repair ofour
bodies;any extra can be used to provide energy(or
is deposited asfat).Proteins are made upof different
amino acids.Somefoods (meat,fish,soya beans and
dairy produce, includingcheeses)contain all theamino
acidsthat are essentialto our bodies.Otherfoods
(grains,pulses,nutsandseeds)arevaluablesources
of protein but don't contain alltheessentialaminoacids.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates and fat provide our bodies with
their main source of energy.There are two types
of carb0hydrate:sugar and starch (which in complex
THE BEST FIRST FOODS FORYOUR BABY

form providesfibre).ln both types there aretwo

forms: natural and refined.The natural form provides
a more healthy alternative.
Fats
Fats provide the most concentrated source ofenergy,
and babies need proportionately more fat in their diet
than adults. Energy-dense foods like cheese,meat
and eggs are needed tofuel their rapid growth and
development,andfat provides morethan 50 percent
oftheenergy in breast milk. Foods that contain fats
also contain fat solublevitamins A, D,E and K,which
are importantforthe healthy development of your
baby.The problem isthat many peopleeat too much
fat and thewrongtype.
There are twotypesof fat -saturated (solid at
room temperature) which mainly come from animal
sources and from artificially hardenedfats found in
cakes,biscuits and hard margarines,and unsaturated
(liquid at room temperature),which comefrom
vegetablesources. It isthe saturatedfats which
are the most harmful and which may lead t o high
cholesterol levels and coronary disease later in life.
It is importanttogive your baby whole &ilk (fullfat)forat least the first twoyears but try toreduce
fats incookingand use butter and margarine in
moderation.Try t o reduce saturated fats in your
child's diet by cutting down on fatty meats like fatty
minced meat or sausages and replace them with lean
red meat,chicken oroilyfish.
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are importantforyour
baby's brain and visual development.There are t w o
10

NEW COMPLETE BABY &TODDLER M E A L PLANNER

types of EFA-omega 6from seed oils,e.g.sunflower,

safflower and corn,and omega 3from oily fish,
e.g.salmon,trout,sardines and fresh tuna (N.B. not
tinned tuna).ln general we get enough omega 6 in
our diets-it is the omega 3 that is often low.The
right balance of both types of EFAs are important,
especially in early life.
Sugars
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Fruits and fruitjuices

Vegetables and vegetable juices
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Sugars and honey

Soft drinks
Sweetjellies
Jams and other preserves
Biscuits and cakes
Starches
hj;3t#.,rai

Wholegrain breakfast cereals,flour, bread and pasta

Brown rice
Potatoes
Dried beansand lentils
Peas, bananasand many otherfruitsandvegetables

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Processed breakfast cereals

(e.g. sugar-coated flakes)
Whiteflour, breadsand pasta
White rice
Sugary biscuits and cakes

For most babies whoeat fresh food in sufficient

quantitiesand drink formula milk until the age of one
year,vitamin supplements are probably unnecessary.
However,in the UKthe Department of Health
recommends that i f your baby is being breastfed
(breastmilk doesn't contain enoughvitamin D)or
is drinking less than 500 mlIi8fl ozof infant formula
a day,you should give himvitamin supplementsfrom
the age of six months t o twoyears.Askyour health
visitor for advice.
Childrenfollowinga vegan diet should have at
least 600 mllzifl ozof afortified infant soya milk
daily until theageoftwo,then they won't need
supplements.lt is mainlyvitamins Aand D that are
likelyto be low in children aged six months t o t w o
years who don't have 500 m l h 8 f l ozfortified infant
or soyaformula.
Vitamins are necessaryfor the correct
development ofthe brain and nervous system.
Agood balanced diet should supply all the nutrients
your child needsand an excessof vitamins is
potentially harmful, but children who are picky eaters

12

NEW COMPLETE BABY &TODDLER M E A L P L A N N E R

could benefit by takinga multi-vitamin supplement

specially designed forchildren.
Therearetwo types of vitamins-water-soluble
(Cand B complex) and fat-soluble (A, D,E and K).Watersolublevitamins cannot be stored bythe body, so foods
containingthese should be eaten daily.They can also
easily be destroyed by overcodking,especially when
fruits and vegetables are boiled in water.You should
t r y t o preserve thesevitamins by eatingthefoods
raw orjust lightly cooked (in a steamer,for instance).
High-Risk Foods
More and more children aredevelopingan allergy
t o sesame seeds, so don't give them t o highly atopic
babies until they'reat least nine months. Berry and
citrusfruitscan trigger a reaction but rarely cause a
trueallergy.The most common allergic problemsthat
may be triggered by an adverse reactiontofood are:
nausea;vomiting;diarrhoea;asthma;eczema;
hayfever; rashesand swelling oftheeyes, lips and
face.This is one reason why it's unwiseto rush
startingyour baby on solid foods.

Cow's milkatld dairy produce

Nutsand seeds
Eggs
WReat-based products
Fisli (especially shellfish)
Ciiocoiate

Water
Humans can survive for quite a time without food,
but only afew days without water. Babies lose more
water through their skin and kidneys than adultsand
alsothrough vomiting and diarrhoea.Thus it'svital
that theydon't become dehydrated. Ensureyour baby
drinks plentyoffluids;cool, boiled water isthe best
drinkto giveon hotdays-it's a better thirst quencher
thanany sugary drink.Avoid bottled mineral water as
it can contain high concentrations of mineral salts,
which are unsuitableforbabies.

It really isn't necessarytogivea veryyoung baby

anythingtodrinkotherthan milkor plain water
ifhe isjust thirsty Fruit syrups,squashes and
sweetened herbaldrinksshould bediscouraged,
t o prevent dental decay. Don't be fooled if the
packet says'dextrose'-this isjust a typeofsugar.
Ifyourbaby refusestodrinkwater,then give him

unsweetened baby juice or fresh l o o per cent fruit

juice. Dilute according t o instructions or,forfresh
juice, use one partjuice t o three parts water.

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ifyourfamily has a history offood allergy or atopic

disease such as hayfever,asthma or eczema, there is
an increased risk of developing an allergic disorder,
sofoods should be introduced with great care.
If possible, breastfeed exclusively for the first six
months. If notdiscuss with your doctorthe option
o f using a'hypoallergenic'infantformula instead.
When weaning,start with low allergen foods like
baby rice, rootvegetables, apple or pear. New foods
should be introducedone ata timeand tried for
twoorthree days. In that way,if there is a reaction
you will knowwhat has caused it.Avoid high-risk
foods until your baby is nineto twelve
monthsold.
There's no need t o worry about food allergies
unlessthereisafamily histolyof allergy or atopic
disease.The incidence of food allergy in normal
babies isvery small and,with thetendencytoa
later introduction of solid food at six months,theySve
becomeeven lesscommon. Don't remove keyfoods
like milkandwheat from your child's diet before
consulting a doctor.Many children grow out oftheir
allergies by the age of two, but some-particularly
a sensitivityto eggs, milk,nutsor shellfish-can
last for life. Ifyour child has an allergy,tell any
adults who may feed him.
Never be afraid t o take your baby t o the doctor
ifyou are worried that something is wrong.Young
babies'immunesystemsaren'tfully matured and
babiescan become illveryquickly ifthey arenrttreated
properly and can develop serious complications.

.,,,,..

.. ..

Lactose intolerance isn't actually an allergy but

the inabiliwto digest lactose-the sugar in milkbecause o f a lackof a digestiveenzyme.Thiscan
be hereditary and,ifthis is the case,yourchild may
experience nausea,cramps, bloating,diarrhoea and
gas,usually about 30 minutesafter consuming dairy
foods,and should be given a special dietthat avoids
all dairy products.Since lactoseis present in breast
and cow's milk, babieswhoare lactoseintoierant
should be given soya formula. However, soya milk isn't
recommendedfor babies undertheageofsix months,
and sothese babiesshould begiven aspecial lowlactose infant formula (sometimes Iabelled'LF').
Lactose intolerance is a rare complication that can
occur after a gastrointestinal infection.in children
overoneyear,itessafeto remove milkproductsfor
afewdaysto see ifthis makesa difference.ln babies
under a year,continue t o breastfeed but, if additional
feedsareneeded,talktoa doctor, healthvisitor or
pharmacist about usinga low-lactosefeedfor
a couple ofweeks.
If children suffer from lactose intolerance due
t o a lackof lactase,this will last for life.
,,

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Ifyou think your baby is sensitiveto cow's milk,

you should consult your doctor. Breast milk isthe
best alternative, but mothers should limit their
own consumption of dairy products as they can
be transferred t o their babythrough breast milk.
If breastfeeding has ceased,yourdoctorwili

recommend an extensively hydrolysed (low-allergen)

infant formula,which is available on prescription.
This condition means that no dairyproductsare
tolerated.Milk-freevegetable or soya margarine may be
substitutedfor butterThere are also many soya-based
(non-dairy)yoghurtsand desserts available and
carobcan besubstitutedfor milkchoco1ate.Babies
often outgrowthis allergy bytheageof two, but
until then it's important t o ensure your child gets
enough calcium in his diet.

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Eggs can be givenfrom SIX months but they must
be thoroughly cooked until both the white and the
yolk are solid.Soft-boiled eggs can be given after
one year.
Fruits
Somechildren have an adverse reaction t o citrus,
berries and kiwifru1t.Rosehip and blackcurrant,
being rich invitamin C, make good alternatives
toorangejuice.
IHoney
Honey should not begiven t o children undertwelve
monthsas it can cause infant botulism.Although this
isvery rare, it is best t o be safeas a baby's digestive
system is too immature todeal with the bug.
Nuts
It is rare t o be allergic totree nuts such as walnuts
and hazelnuts. However,peanuts and peanut

products can induce a severe allergic reaction -

.anaphylactic shock-which can be life threatening,

so it's best t o be cautious. In families with a history
of any allergy including hayfever,eczema and
asthma,it'sadvisableto avoid all products
containing peanuts,including peanut oil, until the
child is three years old,and then seek medical advice
before introducing peanut products intothe diet.
Peanut butter and finely ground nuts, however,can
be introducedfrom six months,provided there is
no family history of allergy.
It is important toonly buy packagedfood that is
labelled'nut free';loose bakery products,sweets and
chocolates may contain nuts.Children undertheage
offive shouldn't begiven whole nuts becauseofthe
riskof choking.
Gluten
Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. Foods
containinggluten,such as bread or pasta,should not
be introduced into any baby's diet before six months.
When buying babycereals and rusks,choose
varieties that aregluten-free. Baby rice is the safest
t o try at flrst,and thereafterthere are plenty of
alternative gluten-free products such as soya,corn,
rice, millet rice noodles and buckwheat spaghetti,
and potatofloursforthickeningand baking.
In somecases intoleranceto wheat and similar
proteinsis temporary,and children may grow out o f
thecondition before they are twoorthree years old.
However,although it is rare,some people sufferfrom
a permanent sensitivity togluten known as coeliac
THE B E S T FIRST FOODS F O R Y O U R BAUY

disease.Symptoms include lossof appetite,poor

growth,swollen abdomen and pale and particularly
smelly stools. Coeliac disease can be diagnosed
by a blood test and can be confirmed by looking
atthegut wall usingendoscopy
Gastro-oesophageal reflux
Refluxis caused when a weakvalve at the topof a
baby's stomach allows their feed, along with gastric
acid,tocome back up,causingsymptoms including
vomitingand heartburn.Ail babies are born with this
weakvalve but some regurgitate excessive amounts
because of reflux. Regularvomiting, refusingfeeds
or only managingsmall amounts at a time, losing
or not gainingweight,or cryingexcessiveiy after
feedscan all be symptoms of refiux.If you are
worried take yourbaby toyourGP.
ifyour baby isdiagnosed with reflux:
G? Holding your baby in an upright position during
and about 2 0 minutes after eachfeed can help.
$2 Raisingthe head end ofyour baby's cot a few
inchesoffthe ground by placing blocksorth/ck
books underthe legs of the cot means gravity will
help t o keep his feed down.
:%Try giving smaller, more frequent feeds so as
not t o overload your baby's stomach.
::1 In moreseverecases it can be worth tryingfeed
thickenersthat can be used when breast- or bottlefeeding.There arealsoseveral prethickened
formulas available on prescription.Some babies
also require antacid medicines. Most cases of gastrooesophageal reflux improveafter startingsolids

but for most babies this is not an indication t o start

solids early

Preparing Baby Foods

Preparingandcooking babyfoodsisn't difficult but,
becauseyou'redealingwitha baby,considerations like
hygiene must be ofthe utmost iinportance.Always
wash fruit andvegetablescarefully before cooking.
Equipment
Most oftheequipmentyou require will already be
inyour kitchen - mashers,graters,sieves,etc.- but
thefollowingfour pieces may not be,and I consider
them t o bevitai!
Moulilbabyfood grinder (see page 208) This handturned food mill purees the food, separating it from
the seedsand tough fibres which can bedifficult
forthe babytodigest.lt is ideal forfoods likedried
apricots, sweetcorn orgreen beans,and is also good
for potato,which becomes sticky in afood processor
or blender.
Electric hand bienderThisis easyto clean and
ideal for making small quantitiesof baby puree
Food processorThis is good for pureeing larger
quantities when making batchesof pureesfor
freezing.
SteamerSteamingfood isoneofthe best waysto
preserve nutrients.lt is worth buyinga multi-tiered

steamer,so you can cookseveral foods at once.

(Acolanderover a saucepan with a well-fitting
lid isa cheaper alternative.)
Sterilising
At first,it isvery important to sterilise bottles
properly,and particularly the teats that your baby
sucks, by whatever approved method you choose.
Warm milk is the perfect breedinggroundfor
bacteria and,if bottles are not properly washed and
sterilised,your baby can becomevery ill.However,
it is not necessary t o sterilise theequipmentyou
use for cooking,pureeing or storing baby food,
but take extra care t o keep everythingvery clean.
Use a dishwasher ifyou have one,which helps
t o ensure theequipment is perfectly clean.Dry
utensils with a clean tea towel or use kitchen paper.
All milk bottlesand teats should continue t o
be sterilised until your baby is one year old, but
thereis really not much point sterilisingspoons or
food containers beyond the age when your baby
starts tocrawl and put everything in reach into his
mouth.There is no need to sterilise any otherfeeding
equipment, but do wash bowls and spoons in a
dishwasher or by hand at about 27'C/8o0F-you
will need towear rubber gloves.lf using a food mixer
it is a good idea to rinse it out with boiling water
as they area common breedinggroundfor bugs.

Steaming
Steam thevegetables or fruits until tend'er.~his
'is the best wayto preservethefresh tasteand
vitamins.Vitamins B and C are water-soluble and
can easily be destroyed by overcooking,especially
when foods are boiled in water. Broccoli loses over 60
per cent of its antioxidants when boiled, but
less than 7 per cent when steamed.
Boiling
Peel,seed or stone thevegetables or fruits
as necessary and cut into pieces.Try t o use the
minimum amount ofwater and be careful notto
overcook.To makea smooth puree,addjust enough
ofthecookingliquidora smaliamount offormula
or breast milk.
Microwaving
Placethevegetablesorfruit in a suitabledish.Add
a little water,cover leavingan airvent and cookon
full power until tender (stir halfway through). Puree
t o the desired consistency. Check that it isn't too hot
t o serve to your baby and stir well t o avoid hot spots.
Baking
Ifyou arecookinga mealforthefamily in theoven,
you could use the opportunity to bakea potato,
sweet potato or butternut squash foryour baby.
Prickthechosenvegetablewith aforkand bake
until tender.Cut in half (remove the seedsfrorn
the squash),scoop out the flesh and mash together
with some water or milk.
THE BEST FIRST FOODS FOR YOUR BABY

17

Freezing Baby Foods

As a baby only eatstiny amounts,especially in
the early stages of weaning,it savestimeto make
up larger quantities o f puree and freezeextra
portions in icecubetrays or small plasticfreezer
potsforfuture meals.Thus,in a couple of hours
you can prepare enoughfoodforyour baby for
a month using the weekly menu planners.
Cookand puree thefood,coverand cool asquickly
as possible.To preserve the quality of the food, it is
importantthat anyfoods that are t o befrozen are
covered.You can buy icecube trays that are made of
a flexible material and come with lids (see page 208).
It isalso best if the container is filled almost to the
top ratherthan leavinga large pocket of air above
thefood. Food should bestored in afreezerthat will
freeze food to-18~CI-o.4'F or below in 24 hours.
Once your baby starts eating larger portions,
it isa good idea t o buy some plasticcontainers with
snap-on lidsthat are designed forfreezing baby
food.Always label frozen food with the contents
and expiry date.
Thawfoodseither bytakingthem out ofthe
I
freezer several hours before a meal, heating in a
saucepan or defrosting in a microwave.Always
reheat foods until piping hot,allowtocool and test
thetemperature ofthe food before giving it toyour
baby. If reheating in a microwave, make surethat
you stirthe food toget rid of any hot spots.
Never refreeze mealsthat have already
beenfrozen; however,if usingfrozenvegetables

orfruit t o make baby pureesthey can becooked

and refrozen.
:'Do not heatto defrost and then leave in the
fridgeto reheat and serve.
$2 Ifyou have defrosted baby food in thefridge
overnight,it should be used within 24 hours.Once
reheated usewithini hour as babyfood isa prime
breedinggroundfor bacteria.
'2 Do not refreeze mealsthat have previously been
frozen.Theexception t o this is that rawfrozen food
can be returned tothefreezer once it is cooked.
For example,cookedfrozen peas can be refrozen.
:1 Sometimes you may need toadd liquid when
reheatingfrozen food as it can cause food todry out.
$2 Babyfoods can be stored in a freezer for up t o
eight weeks.

Introducing particular foods

I have listed opposite particularfoodsthat you should

avoidfeedingyour baby until a certain age has been

reached.This is not an exhaustive list and you should
refer t o each chapterfor more information.

Meal Planners
In thenext chapter I'vedevised some meal planners
t o helpyou throughthefirstweekswhen you start
t o wean your baby.The FirstTastesMeal Planner
shows howtograduallywean your baby ontosolids
using mainly singleingredient, easily digestedfruit
andvegetable purees that are unlikely t o provoke
an allergic reaction.Onceyour baby has been
introduced tothese tastes, progre'sstothe~fter

FirstTastes Accepted Meal Planner,which includes

combinations offruit and vegetable purees like carrot
and pea or peaches,apples and pears.Adaptthe
recipesaccordingto what is in season.
These planners are intended only as a guide
and will depend on many factors includingweight.
Ifyour baby's last meal isclose t o bedtime,avoid
giving him anythingthat is heavy or difficult
t o digest.This iscertainly notthe time t o
experimentwith new foods if you both want
a good night's sleep.
I have tried t o give a wide choice of recipes,
although I expect that,in practice,meals that
your baby enjoys would be repeated several timesand this is where yourfreezerwill come in handy.
In subsequent chapters,thereare meal
plannersforyour baby which you mayfollow or
simply use asa guide.Adapt thechartsaccording
to what is in season and what you are preparingfor
yourfamily. From nine months onwards,you should
be abietocookforyour baby andfamilytogether,
perhaps eating the recipes you give your baby for
lunch and tea foryourown supper, provided you
do not add salt toyour baby's portion.
In these later charts, I have set out four meals
a day, but many babies are satisfied with just three
meals as well as some healthy snacks.
Many ofthevegetable purhes in theearly
chapters can be transformed into a vegetable soup;
and a number of thevegetable dishes can serve as
good sidedishesforthefamily.Again,ifyou givethe
baby some of thevegetables you are preparingfor

thefamily,make sure they have not been salted.

In the later chapters many recipes are suitablefor
the wholefamily.
With each recipe are symbolsoftwofaces-one
smiling 0,the other gloomy O. Ifyou tick these you
will find these useful for recording your successes
(or otherwise)! Some recipes also show a snowflake,
which means the meal is suitableforfreezing.
l>',,!;,?l. c:,-,

;,p;

i-,:~!,:,.,?

Gluten (wheat, rye, barley and oats)

6 months
Citrus fruits
6 months
Weil-cookedeggs
6-9 months
Soft egg5,e.g. well-cooked scrambled eggs
from iyear
Added salt
limitedamountfrom 12 months
Sugar
limited amountfrom 72 months
Wholecow'smilkasa main drink
12 months
Honey
12 months
Pate
12 months
Softlblue cheese,e.g. BrielGorgonzola
12 months
Wholelchopped nuts
gyears
T H E BEST FIRST FOODS F O R Y O U R BABY

19

CHAPTER T W O

X".

Asdiscussed in chapterone,thecurrent UK
Department o f Health guidelines state that babies
should be exclusively breastfed uptothe age of
sixmonths. However,most babiesin the UK begin
weaning between four and six months.Every baby
is different,and signs that your baby could be ready
t o i t a r t solids are:
r Sheis no longer satisfied by afull milkfeed.
z She isdemanding increasingly frequent milkfeeds.
3 She may starttowake in the nighttofeed after
a period of sleepingthrough the night.
4 *is
interested in watchingotherseat.
5 She isableto support her head and neck well when
in a sitting position.

N.B.A baby's digestive system is not capable

of absorbingfoods more complex than baby
milk before the age of at least 17 weeks.
'
6

Start by offering herverysmooth,runny pur6esof

apple, pear,carrot,sweet potato, potato or butternut
squash.You can also mixfruitsandvegetables with
baby rice.Don't expect your baby t o eat much at all
in thefirst week.Just offer solidsoncea day at first
and choosea timewhen you are both relaxed and
not in a hurry.She will need t o bea little bit hungry
but not ravenously so.You may need t o give her
a little milktotaketheedge off her hungerfirst.
Don't rush,tryand goat your baby's pace.

again.Also bear in mind that oneofthe reasons

forthe six-month recommendation is that in
underdeveloped countries breast milk issterile,
whereas the introduction of solids early on can
lead t o infection.

First fruits and vegetables

Very first foods should be easy t o digest and
unlikely t o provoke an allergic reaction.
l find that root vegetables likecarrot,sweet
potato,parsnipand swedetend t o bethe most
popularwithveryyoung babiesdue totheir
naturally sweet flavour and smooth textureonce
pur&ed.The bestfirstfruitsforyoung babies are
apple,pear, banana and papaya, but it's important
that you choosefruit that is ripeand has a good
flavour,so it's a gOod idea t o taste it yourself
before giving it toyour baby.

Until recently,the advice given was t o introduce

each food separately, waitingforthree days before
introducinganother new food. However,unless
there is a history of allergy oryou are concerned
about your baby's reactions t o a certain food,
thereisno reason why newfoods should not be
introduced on consecutive days, provided you
keepto the list in thetable.
Take carewhen introducing solids not t o
reduce your baby's rnilkintake,as milkisstill
the most important factor in growth and
developmentk;
It isimportanttowean your baby on as wide
a range offoods as possible.Afterfirst tastes are
accepted you can introduceall fruitand vegetables
(see page 31). However,take care with citrus,
pineapple, berry fruits and kiwi fruit as these may
upset somesusceptible babies.

'

Best first fruits

Best first vegetables

Apple
Pear
Banana*
Papaya'

Carrot
Potato
Swede
Parsnip
Pumpkin
Butternut squash
Sweet potato

on pagen) so a variety is o f value at later stages.

Manyvegetables have quite strongflavoursbroccoli,for example-so when solids are fairly well
established,you could mixin some potatoor baby
riceand milkto make it more palatable.Veryyoung
babies liketheir food quite bland.
Notethat all fruit andvegetablescan also be
cooked in a microwave (see page 17for method).

'Eonanoondpopoyodonot require cooking provided theyare ripe.

They con bepur6edormorhedon theirown~rtogether~ithoIittie
breast orformoio milk Baanonar orenotsoitableforfreezing.

Fruit
At first a baby should havecooked purees of fruits
likeapples and pears,or uncooked mashed banana
or papaya.After the first few weeks your baby can
graduate t o other raw mashed or pureed fruits like
melon, peach and plum -these are delicious as
long as they are ripe.
Dried fruits can be introduced but in small
quantities;although they are nutr~tiousthextend
t o be laxatives. Ifyou are worrted about the bse of
pesticides, organic fruit and vegetables are ivailable
Vegetables
Some people prefer tostart their babies on
vegetables ratherthan fruit in ordertoestablish
a likingfor more savoury tastes.
When introducinga babyto solids,it is best
t o start with root vegetables, particularly carrots,
since they are naturally sweet. Different vegetables
provide different vitamins and minerals (seechart

Rice
Another good firstfood is baby rice.Mixed with
water or breast orformula miik,it is easily digested
and its milky taste makesfora smooth transition
t o solids.Choose onethat is sugar-free and enriched
withvitamins and iron. Personally I preferto
combine baby rice with fruit and vegetable purees.

Textures
At thevery beginningofweaning,the riceand
fruit orvegetable pureesshould befairly wet and
soft.This means that most vegetables,for instance,
should becooked untilvery soft so thatthey puree
easiiy.You will probably need tothin out the
consistency o f the purees, since babies are more
iikelytoacceptfood in a semi-liquidform.You can
useformula or breast milk,fruitjuiceor boiled water.
As your baby becomes moreaccustomed tothe
feel of'solidfood'in her mouth.you can gradually
start t o reducetheamount of liquid that you are
addingtothe pures,which will encourage herto
chew a little.Thisshould bea natural processasshe
should want tochew her food asshestarts teething

(usually between sixand twelve months).You could

alsothicken the purees if necessarywith baby rice
or some crumbled rusk.Asthe baby becomes older
and solid feeding isestablished (atthe age of about
six months), some fruit can be served raw and
vegetablescan becooked more lightly (retaining
morevitamin C).
Peel,core and deseedfruits as necessary before
cookingand1orpureeing.Vegetables with fibres
or seeds should besieved or put through a mouli
for a smooth texture.The husksof leguminous
vegetables cannot be digested at this stage.

Quantities
At thevery beginning,don't expect your baby t o
take more than 1-2 teaspoonsof her baby riceor
afruit orvegetablepuree. Forthis you should need
one portion-in thissection,this means oneor
two cubesfrom an ice-cube tray.
As your baby gets used toeatingsolidsyou may
need todefrost threeor morefrozen food-cubes
for hermea1,orstartfreezingfood in largerpots.

Drinks
Water is the best drinkto offer.But freshly squeezed
orangejuice is high invitamin C,which helpsyour
child t o absorb iron. Ifyour baby reactstoorange
juice you can offer blackcurrant or rosehip instead.
Diluteone partjuice t o a t least five parts cooled
boiled water. Diluted juice tastes weak t o us but
babies don't miss the sweet taste as they haven't
been used t o it.Trytoavoid givingsweet drinksas

this will givethem a sweettooth and result in

them no longer acceptingwater.
Ifyou buy commercialfruitjuices,they should
be unsweetened. But even those labelled
'unsweetened'or'no added sugar'still contain
sugars and acids that can lead t o tooth decay. It is
important n o t t o let your baby continually sip any
fluid except water.
Ajuicer is a useful machineto have in the kitchen
when there is a baby in the house.Manyfruitsand
vegetablescan be turned into nutritiousdrinks.
Tips for introducing solids
Makethe rice or purCefairly wet and soft at first,
using breast orformula milk,an unsweetenedjuice
0rcookingwater.A handy tip is t o mixthe puree in
the plastic removabletopof afeeding bottle
(which has been sterilised).
2 Hold your baby comfortably on your lapor sit her
in her baby chair.lt would be better if both ofyou
were protected against spills!
3 Choosea time when your baby is notfr?ntically
hungryand maybegive hersome milkfirst t o
partially satisfy her-she will then be more
receptive tothe new idea.
4 Babies are unable t o lickfood off a spoon with
theirtongues,sochoosea smaII,shallow plastic
teaspoon offwhich she can take some food with
her lips. (Special weaning spoons can be bought.)
5 Start by givingjust onesolid feed duringtheday,
about 1-2 teaspoons t o begin with.1 prefertogive
thisfeed at lunch-time.
i

FIRST-STAGE WEANING

Fruit and vegetables

FIRST TASTES
Apple
MAKES 5 PORTIONS
Choose a sweet variety of eating apple. Peel, halve,
core and chop2 medium apples.Put intoa heavy
saucepan with 4-5 tablespoons water. Cover and
cookover a low heat until tender (7-8 minutes).
Or steam forthe same length of time. Puree. If
steaming, add some of the boiled water from the
bottom of thesteamerto thin outthe puree.
Apple and Cinnamon
Simmer zapples in applejuiceorwaterwith
a cinnamon stick. Cook as above; remove stick

Pear
MAKES 5 PORTIONS
Peel, halveand core2 pears,then cut into small
pieces.Coverwith a little water,cookover a low heat
until soft (about 4 minutes). Or steam forthe same
length oftime.Puree.Ifthe pears arevery ripe you
may not need any water,and afterthe first few
weeksof weaning,you can safely puree ripe pears
without cooking.Appleand peartogether make
a good combination.

Papaya

Three-Fruit PurCe

MAKES 4 PORTIONS
Papaya isan excellent fruitto giveavetyyoung baby.
It has a pleasing sweet taste which is not too strong
and blends within seconds t o a perfect texture.
Cut a medium fruit in half, removeall the black
seeds and scoop out the flesh. Puree,addinga little
formula or breast milk ifyou like.

MAKES 4 PORTIONS
This is a delicious combination of three ofthefirst
fruitsthatyour baby can eat.
Mix1dessertspoon each of pear and apple purees
(see page26) with half a banana,mashed.You could
also use half a raw ripe pear,'peeled,cored and cut
intochunks.Pureethisand the half banana in a
blender until smooth, then mix together with the
dessertspoon of cooked apple puree.

Cream of Fruit
MAKES 3 EXTRA PORTIONS
Combiningafruit pureewith baby milkand baby
riceorcrumbled rusk can makeit more palatable
for your baby.in the nextfew months,when your
baby maystart eatingsome other exotic fruits
like mango and kiwi fruit,this method of'diluting'
thefruit purees with milkwill also make them
less acidic.
Peel,core,steam or boil and pureethefruit
as described and,foreach 4-portion quantity of
prepared fruit,stir in 1 tablespoon of unflavoured
baby riceor half a low-sugar ruskand 2 tablespoons
of baby milk.

l
28

NEWCOMPLETE BABY & TODDLER M E A L PLANNER

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.y-

Carrot or Parsnip
MAKES 4 PORTIONS
Peel,trim and slice2 medium carrotsorparsnips.
Place in a saucepan o f lightly boilingwater,cover
and simmer for 25 minutes or untilverytender.
Alternatively,you can steam them. Drain, reserving
thecooking liquidsandpuree t o a smooth
c~nsistency~addingas
much o f the reserved liquid
as necessary.
The cookingtime is longer forsmall babies.Once
your baby can chew,cut the cooking time down t o
preservevitamin C and keep thevegetables crisper.

Sweet Potato, Swede or Parsnip

Cream of Carrot

MAKES 4 PORTIONS

MAKES 2 PORTIONS
h

Usea largesweet potato,a small swedeortwo

large parsnips.Scrub,peel and chop intosmall cubes.
Coverwith boiling waterand simmer,covered,until
tender (15-20 minutes).Alternatively,steam the
vegetables. Drain,reservingthe cooking liquid.
Puree in a blender addingsome liquid if necessary.

Potato
MAKES 10 PORTIONS

Wash, peel and chop400 gIi4oz potatoes,just

coverwith boiling water and cookover a medium
heat for about i s minutes. Blend with some cooking
liquid or baby milkto make thedesired consistency.
Alternatively, steam the potatoes and blend with
some waterfrom thesteamer oryour baby's
usual milk.
Avoid using a food processor t o puree potato as
it breaksdown thestarch and makes a sticky pulp.
Use a mouli instead.
You can bake potatoor sweet potato in the oven.
Preheatto 200C/4000F/Gas 6fori-i'/4 hoursor
until soft.Scoop outthe insideand mouli or mash
with a little baby milkand a knobof butter.

Acreamy puree can be made with many different

vegetables by adding milk and baby rice.Makea
pureewith one large carrot (approx.85 g13 oz).This
should makeaboutloo mll3%fl ozcarrot puree
(see page 28).Mixi tablespoon of unflavoured baby
rice with 2 tablespoons ofyour baby's usual milk.Stir
the baby rice mixture into thevegetable puree.Half
a low-sugar ruskcrushed and mixed with milk will
also make a creamy puree.Allowthe ruskto soften
in the baby milk before mixingit into thevegetable
puree o f your choice.

Butternut Squash
MAKES 6 PORTIONS

Butternut squash has a naturally sweet flavour

that isvery popular with babies.
Peel a butternut squash weighingabout 350 g112
oz.Deseed and cut theflesh intoz%cm/i inch cubes.
Steam or cover with boilingwater and simmerfor
about 15 minutesor until tender.~rdn?ferthesquash
t o a blender and makea puree with a littleofthe
cooking liquid.

Fruit a n d vegetables
AFTER FIRST TASTES ACCEPTED

Courgette

Green Beans

MAKES 8 PORTIONS

Wash 2 medium courgettes carefully, remove the

ends and slice.(Theskin is soft so doesn't need t o
be removed.) Steam until tender (about i o minutes),
then puree in a blender or mash with afork.(No need
toadd extra liquid.) Good mixed with sweet potato,
carrot or baby rice.

'

French beansare best since they tend t o bethe least

stringyvariety; runner beans should be pureed in a
mouli.Wash the beans,top and tail,and remove any
stringy bits.Steam until tender (about 12 minutes),
then blend.Add a little boiled water or baby milkto
make a smooth puree.Green vegetables like beans
are good mixed with root vegetables such as sweet
potato or carrot.

Broccoli and Cauliflower

MAKES 4 PORTIONS

Potato, Courgette and Broccoli

Useioo gI4ozof either.Wash well,cut into small

florets and add150 mlI5fl oz boiling water.Simmer,
covered, until tender (about 10 minutes). Drain,
reservingthe cooking liquid. Puree until smooth,
addinga littleofthe liquid,or baby milk,tomake
the desired consistency.
Alternatively,steam thefloretsforio minutes for
betterflavour and retention o f nutrients.Add water
fromthesteamer,or baby milk,tomakea smooth
puree.Broccoli and caulifloweraregood mixed with
a cheese sauce or root vegetable puree like carrot
or sweet potato.

MAKES 4 PORTIONS

Combining potato with green vegetables makes

them more palatable for babies.Peel and chop t w o
medium potatoes (zoo g17oz). Boil in water below
a steamer for about 10 minutes or until soft.Place
25 g11 oz broccoliflorets and 50 g12 ozsliced
courgette i n the steamer basket,cover and cook
for 5 minutesor until all thevegetables are tender.
Drain the potatoand puree all thevegetables in
a mouli,addingenough baby milktomakea
smooth consistency.

FIRST-STAGE WEANING

~~

~~

31

Broccoli Trio

Peach

MAKES 4 PORTIONS

MAKES 4 PORTIONS

Cantaloupe Melon
Carrot and Cauliflower

MAKES 6 PORTIONS

MAKES 4 PORTIONS

@&&,qprn@m~~@~mkIE

mm&hnw~m@mhmiAd
r & ~ @ G @ ~ m m f i % c m ~

m&mflm&m&aaam*

Plum
MAKES 4 PORTIONS

Mango
MAKES 3 PORTIONS

Dried Apricot, Peach or Prune

Apple and Raisin Compote

MAKES 4 PORTIONS

M A K E S 8 PORTIONS

Many superrnarketsstocka selection o f ready-to-eat

dried fruits. Dried apricots are particularly nutritious,
being rich in betacarotene and iron.Avoid buying
dried apricots that have been treated with sulphur
dioxideor E z o - t h i s preserves their bright orange
colour, but thissubstancecan trigger asthma attacks
in susceptible babies.
Coverioog/4ozfruit with fresh cold water, bring
t o the boil and simmer until soft (about 5 minutes).
Drain, remove thestonesand press through a mouli
t o remove the rough skins.Add a little ofthecooking
liquid t o makea smooth puree.
This isgood combined with baby riceand milk,
banana or ripe pear.

Heat 3 tablespoonsof fresh orange juice in a

saucepan.Add zeatingapples peeled,cored and
sliced,and 15 gl%oz of washed raisins.Cook gently
for about 5 minutes until soft,addinga little water
if necessary.
Dried fruit likeapricots or raisins should be put
through a mouliforyoung babies,toget rid ofthe
outer skin which isdifficult t o digest.

Apricot and Pear

MAKES 8 PORTIONS

Roughly chop 50 g12 0 2 ready-to-eat dried apricots

and putthem into a saucepan with 2 ripe Conference
pears (350 g/i2 02) peeled,cored and cut into pieces.
Cook,covered,overa low heat for 3-4 minutes.Puree
in a blender,Alternatively,use4fresh,sweet, ripe
apricots,peeled,stoned and chopped.

Peas
MAKES 4 PORTIONS
I tend t o use frozen peas as they are just as
nutritious asfresh.Coverloog/4oz peas with water,
bringto the boil and simrner,covered,for4minutes
until tender.Drain,reservingsome cooking liquid.
Puree using a moulior press through a sieveand add
someof thecooking liquid t o rnakethe desired
consistency.Good combined with potato, sweet
potato, parsniporcarrot.lf usingfresh peas,cook
themfori2-IT minutes.

Sweet Red Pepper

Spinach

PORTIONS
Wash,core and deseed a medium red pepper.
Cut into quarters and roast under a preheatedgrili
until the skin is charred. Place in a plastic bag and
ailowto cool.peei offthe blisteredskin and puree.
Good with cauliflower,sweet potato or potato.

M A K E S 2 PORTIONS

M A K E S 2-3

Wash l o o g1402 spinach ieavesvery carefully,

removingthe coarsestalks.Eithersteamthe spinach
or put in a saucepan and sprinkle with a little water.
Cook untilthe leaves are wilted (about 3-4minutes),
Gently press out any excess water.Good combined
with potato,sweet potato or butternut squash.

Avocado
.

MAKES 1 PORTION

Tomatoes

Cut a well-ripened avocadoin half and scoopout

thest~ne.Usel/~-l/zand mash the flesh with afork,
maybe adding a little milk.Se~equicklytoavoid it
turning brown. Good mixed with mashed banana.
DO not freeze avocados.

M A K E S 2-3

Corn on the Cob

PORTIONS
Remove theouter corn husksand silkfrom tpe corn
on the cob and rinse well.Coverwith boilingwater
3
and cookovera medium heatforlo rninutes.5train
and then remove the kernels o f corn usinga sharp
knife. Puree in a mouli.Alternatively,cooksome
frozen corn and then puree.
MAKES 2

-m

--

PORTIONS
Plunger medium tomatoesin boiling water for
3oseconds.Transfertocold water,skin,deseed
and roughly chop.Melta knobof butter in a heavybottomed saucepan and saute the tomato until
mushy.Pureein a blender.This isgood combined
with potato,caulifloweror courgette.

Peach and Banana

This isa delicious pureeto make when peaches are in seison.They are a
good source ofv~taminC and are easy t o digest. Banana alsocombines well
with papaya.
MAKES 1 PORTION
iripe peach, skinned and cut into pieces

ismofl banana, peeled andsliced

%tablespoon pure applejuice

baby rice (optional)
Put the peach, banana and applejuice into a small pan, cover and simmer
for 2-3 minutes.Puree in a blender.lf it'stoo runny,add a little baby rice.

Three-fruit Puree
This makesa nicechangefrom plain mashed banana or apple puree.When
your baby issix months orolder,you can makethis with rawgrated apple
and mashed banana.
MAKES 1 PORTION

'/4 apple,peeled, cored andchopped

'/4 banana,peeled and chopped
iteaspoon orangejuice

Steam theapple until tender (about 7minutes),then pureeor mash it

togetherwith the banana and orangejuice.Serveas soon as possible.

FIRST-STAGE WEANING

35

~eaches,Applesand Pears

* oo

When peaches aren't in season you can make this just usingappies and pears.
ifthe puree is toothin,stir in some baby rice t o thicken it.
MAKES 8 PORTIONS
2 eating apples,peeled,

coredandchopped

ivanillapod

2 tablespoons applejuice or water

2 ripe peaches, skinned and chopped
2

ripe pears, peeled, cored and chopped

Putthechopped apple in a saucepan.Spiitthevaniila pod with a sharp

knife,scrapetheseeds intothe pan and add the pod and applejuiceorwater.
Simrner,covered,for about 5 minutes.Add the peachesand pears and cook
for 3-4rninutes more.Rernove the pod and puree.

Mixed Dried-Fruit Compote $ o o

Driedfruit concentratesthe goodness oftheoriginaifruit.Dried apricotsand
prunes are a good sourceof iron and dried apricots are also rich in betacarotene.
Their natural sweetness makes them good first foods and Iliketo mixthem with
fresh fruit. Prunes are a well-known laxative, so they aregood mixed with apple
or pear ifyour baby is constipated.

MAKES 6 PORTIONS

50 g/2 oz each driedapricots, driedpeaches andprunes

I
ieating apple and ipear, peeled, cored and chopped, or iapple
and3fresh apricots, skinned, stoned and chopped

Putthedriedfruit,appleand pear (or apricot,if using) into a saucepan andjust

coverwith boiling water.Simmerfor about 8 minutes.Drain thefruit and puree,
addinga littleofthecooking liquid ifnecessary.

36
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NEWCOMPLETE BABY&TODDLER MEAL PLANNER

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_-1

Vegetable Stock :I: o o

Vegetable stockformsthe basis of many vegetable recipes.This should keep
for a weekin thefridge and it is well worth makingyourown,which will be
free from additivesand salt.
900 M L l l l h PINTS
r large onion, peeled
125g/4% oz carrot, peeled
7 celery stalk
775g/6 oz mixed root vegetables (sweet potato,
swede, parsnip], peeled
leek
zsq/r oz butter
r sachet bouquet garni
I sprig offresh parsley and Ibay leaf
6 black peppercorns
g o o ml/r%pints water
MAKES ABOUT

Chop ail thevegetables.Meltthe butter i n a large saucepan and sautetheonion

for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cover with the water. Bring t o
the boil and simmer for about 1 hour.Strain the stockand squeeze any remaining
juicesfrorn thevegetables through a sieve.

Carrot g n d Pea Pureeoo

I

Both carrots a?d peas have a naturally sweet taste that appeals t o babies.
MAKES 2 PORTIONS
2 0 0 g/70z

carrots, peeled and sliced

40 911% ozfrozen peas
Put thesliced carrotsin a saucepan and cover with boilingwater.Cook,covered,
for15 minutes.Add the peasand cookfor afurther 5 minutes.Pur@ewith
sufficient cooking liquid t o make a smooth puree.
-

Baby Cereal a n d Vegetables

Sometimesvegetable pureescan bevery watery- here I have added baby rice,

which makes an excellent thickening agent.
MAKES 6 PORTIONS

25g/1 oz onion, peeledand chopped

iteaspoon olive oil
imedium courgette, trimmedandsliced
50 g/2 oz broccoli
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
vegetable stock (optional)
go g/z ozfrozen peas
3 tablespoons baby rice
Saute theonion in the olive oil for 2 minutes,then add all thevegetables
except the frozen peas. Just cover with boiling water or vegetable stock.
Bring backto the boil,then simmer for 2 0 minutes.Add the frozen peas and
cookfor 5 minutes more. Puree thevegetables,addingas much ofthe cooking
liquid as necessaryto make thedesired consistency,and stir in the baby rice.

Sweet Vegeta ble Medley ;:.:o o

Rootvegetables like swede,carrot and parsnip make delicious and nutritious
pureesforyoung babies.You could also use butternut squash and pumpkin.
MAKES 5 PORTIONS

loo g/4 oz carrot, peeledand chopped

i o o g b oz swede, peeledandchopped
ioog/4 ozpotato, butternut squash orpumpkin,peeledandchopped
50 g h oz parsnip, peeledand chopped
300 ml/iofloz waterormilk (can usecow's milkin cookingfrom sixmonths)
Put thevegetables in a saucepan with the water or milk. Bring tothe boil,
then cover and simmer for 25-30 minutesor until thevegetables are tender.
Remove with a slotted spoon and pureethevegetables in a blender,together
withasmuch cooking liquid as necessaryto make the desired consistency.
FIRST-STAGE WEANING

39

Watercress, Potato and

Courgette Puree % o o

M A K E S 6 PORTIONS

Avocado and Banana or Papaya oo

M A K E S 1 PORTION

Butternut Squash and Pear *oo

MAKES 4 PORTIONS

Sweet Potato with Cinnamon

oo

MAKES 4 PORTIONS

FIRST-STAGE W E A N I N G

Leek, Sweet Potato a n d Pea Puree +Eo o

Sweet potatoes make perfect baby food;they arefull of nutrientsand have
a naturally sweet taste and smooth texture.Choose the orange-fleshed variety
asit is rich in betacarotene.lt is fine t o use frozen vegetables in baby pur6es
as they arefrozen within hours of being picked and can bejust as nutritious
asfreshvegetables.Oncecooked,frozenvegetables can be refrozen.
MAKES 5 PORTIONS

50 g/2 oz leek, washed andsliced

400 9/14 oz sweet potato, peeled and chopped
300 rnl/rofl o r vegetablestock
50 g/2 ozfrozen peas
Putthe leek and chopped sweet potatoin a saucepan,pour overthevegetable
stock and bringtothe boil.Cover and simmerfor 15 minutes.Add the peas and
continue t o cookfor 5 minutes.Pur6e in a blender.

NEW COMPLETE BABY & TODDLER M E A L P L A N N E R

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First tastes meal planner

Week1

Early morning

Breakfast

Lunch

Tea

Bedtime

Days 1-2

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottie.
Baby rice

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Days 3-4

Breastlbottie

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle
Root Vegetable
e.g.carrot or
sweet potato

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle
Pearwith
baby rice

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottie

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Day 6

Apple

44
-

Day 7

Breastlbottie

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle
Vegetablee g.
butternutsquash
or sweet potato

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Daysi-2

Breastlbottie
Appleor pear
w i t h baby rice

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle
Root Vegeta ble
e.g.potato,
parsnip or carrot

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Days 3-4

Breastlbottle
Banana or papaya

Breas lbottle

Breastlbottle
Sweet Vegetable
Medley

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Dayss-6

Breastlbottle
Apple or pear

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle
Sweet potato,

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Day 7

Breastlbottle
Peach and banana
or mashed banana

Breastlbottle

'

Breastlbottle
Carrot orcarrot

NEW COMPLETE BABY &TODDLER MEAL PLANNER

. . ~
~

-~

~~

'

Week 3

Early morning

Breakfast

Day1

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle
Banana

Day 2

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottie
APP~~

Lunch

Tea

Bedtime

Diluted juice
orwater
Sweet Vegetable
Medley

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Diluted juice
orwater
Sweetvegetable
Medley

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle
Peaches,Apples
and Pears

Dilutedjuice
orwater
BroccollTrio

Breastlbottie

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle
Cream of Fruit

Dilutedjuice
orwater
Butternut Squash
and Pear

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottie

Breastlbottle
Cream of Fruit

Diluted juice
orwater
Butternut Squash
and Pear

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle
Banana or papaya

Diluted juice
or water
Potatoncourgette
and Broccoli

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle
Pear or baby rice

Dilutedjuice
or water
Carrot and Pea
Puree

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

. Breastlbottle

Therechartsare intendedonlyasa guideandwill dependon many

factors inciudingweight.Same babies may only want onemlid feed
aday and same may preferto havea second meal atteatime.Bald
type indicates recipesshown inthe book.

Fruitjuicerhould bedilutedat ieastthree partswatertoone part

juice.orsubstituted completelywith moied boiled water.

FIRST-STAGEWEANING

45

After f i r s t tastes accepted m e a l planner

.

ak f i

e
Breastlbottle

Sweet Vegetable
Medley
Water or d~luted
juice

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle
Three-Fruit Puree

Leek, Sweet
Potatoand
Pea Puree
Breastlbottle

Day 2

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle
Three-Fruit Puree

Leek, Sweet
Potatoand
Pea Puree
Breastlbottle

Day 3

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle
Pearandbaby
cereal

Broccoli Trio
Breastlbottle

,; Sweet potato
, Waterorjuice'

Day 4

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle
Appleand
Cinnamon

Baby Cereal
andvegetables
Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle
Mango and baby
cereal

Avocado and
Banana
Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Day S

Day 6

Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle
Banana

/
Day 7

'

NEWCOMPLETE BABY

Breastlbottle

[l
I;

Potatoand
CourgettePur6e
Breastlbottle

Breastlbottle

Carrot and

Breastlbottle

I: Pea Puree
: Waterorjuice'
BraccoliTrio
Waterordiluted
juice

:, Watercress,

Sweet potato
Waterordiluted
juice

': Breastlbottle
4:

!'

Breastlbottle

Thesechartrareintended anlyaraguideandwilldependon many

fadorr includingweight.Some babies will managetoeat some fruit
after lunch and tea.

46

Carrot and
Cauliflower
Waterorjulce'

Day l

&TODDLER
MEAL PLANNER

'Fruitjuicerhould bediluted atieartthreepartrwatertoone

partjuice,orrubrtituted completely w i t h cooled bailed water.

Breakfast

Mid-morning

Lunch

Mid-afternoon

Tea

Bedtime

Day I

Breastlbottle
Baby cereal
Mashed banana

Breastlbattle

Leek,Sweet
Potatoand Pea
Puree
Waterorjuice'

Breastlbattie

Carrat,Mango
or Peach, Rusk
Water orjuice'

Breastlbottle

Day z

Brea~tlbottle
Baby cereal
Apple and
Raisin Compote

Breastlbattle

Avocadoand
Banana
Waterorjuice'

Breastlbottle

Carrot and Pea

Puree
Cantaloupe
melon
Waterorjuice'

Breastlbottle

Breastlbattle
Baby cereai
Mangoand
banana

Breastlbottle

Sweet Potato
with Cinnamon
Waterarjuice'

Breastlbottle

Potato,
Courgette
and Broccoli
Yogurt
Waterarjuice*

Breastlbottie

Breastlbottle
Baby cereal
Fromagefrais

Breartlbottle

BrocroliTrio
Water orjuice'

Breastlbattle

SweetVegetable
Medley
Mango or papaya
Waterorjuice'

Breastlbottie

Days

BreastYbottle
Baby cereal
Peache~Apples
and Pearr

Breastlbottle

BroccoliTria
Waterorjuice'

Breartlbattle

Sweetvegetable
Medley
Fingers oftoast
Yoghurt
Water orjuice'

Breastlbottie

Day 6

Breastlbottle
Baby cereai
Peache~Apples
and Pears

Breastlbottle

Watercress,
Potato and
Courgette Puree
Waterorjuice'

Breartlbottle

Leek, Sweet
Potatoand Pea
Puree
Banana
Water orjuice'

Br$astlbottle

Day 7

Breastlbottie
Baby cereal
Apricot and
Pear

Breastlbottle

Carrotand
Pea Puree
Water orjuice'

Breastlbottie

Watercress,
potatoand
Courgette Puree
Peach and
Banana
Water orjuice'

Breastlbottie

FIRST-STAGEWEANING

47

aby.Aseven-month-

biesof eight
ods like

It is besttoonly putformula, breast milkor

water into your baby's bottle.Comfort-suckingon
sweetened drinks is the main cause of tooth decay
inyoungchildren,and babiesare morevulnerable
t o decay than children oradults.You should start
pout and easy-to-hold
handlesonceyour baby is sixmonthsold.Thereare
trainingcupsavailable toguideyour baby from
a soft spout t o open drinking cup in easy stages.
Let your baby's appetite determine how much
he eats and never force him t o eat something he
actually dislikes. DonZ offer it fora while, but
reintroduceit afewweeks later.You mayfind that
second time around he loves it.
Remember,atthisage it is normal for babiesto
be quitechubby.As soon as your baby startscrawling
and walking, hewill losethisexcess weight.

gh a low-fat diet isfineforadults,it is not

The Foods t o Choose

your baby can now eat protein foods likeeggs,
cheese,pulses,chicken and fish. Limit somefoods
which might be indigestible-such as spinach,
ientils,cheese, berry or citrus fruit -and don't worry
ifsomefoods,like pulses,peasand raisins,pass
through yourchild undigested:until they areabout
twoyears old, babies cannot completely digest
husked vegetables and the skins of fruits. Peeling,
mashingand pureeingfruit and vegetables will
of course aid digestion.With foods like bread,
flour,pasta and rice,trytochoose wholegrain,
ratherthan refined,as it is more nutritious.
Onceyour baby has passed the six-month
stage and is happily eating bread and otherfoods
containing gluten,there is no longer any need
togive him special baby cereals.You can use adult
cereals like Ready Brek,instant porridge and
Weetabix,which arejust as nutritiousand much
cheaper.Choose a cereal that isn't highly refined and
which is low in sugar and salt.Many people continue
t o usecommercial babyfoods because they think,
duetothe long list of vitaminsand minerals on the
packet, that they are more nutritious. However,
babieswhoeat a good balanced diet of fresh foods
get a perfectly adequate quantity ofvitamins and
minerals. Also, baby foods in general are heavily
processed,and their finertexture and bland flavours
will hinderthedevelopment ofyour baby'stastes.
Beware,too,of someof the rusks you can buy
which aresupposedly the'idealfoodforyour baby:
Many arefull of sugar(somecontain more sugar

than a doughnut).Give your baby sometoast t o

chew on or followthe simple recipefor rusks in
<he nine-to-tweive-month fingerfood section
(see page 95).
Ordinary cow's milkisn'tsuitabieasyourbaby's
main drinkf0rthefirstyear.a~it doesn't contain
enough iron or other nutrients for proper growth.
However,wholecow's milkcan be used in cooking
orwith cereal.
It isverydifficulttogive portion sizes as the
quantities that babies eat vary enormously.The
amount offood one baby needsto eatto maintain
the samegrowth ratecan beverydifferentto the
next baby,even if they are the sameage and weight.
They have different metabolic rates and different
activity levels and the food that their parents make
can vary in calorie content significantiy.The amount
a babyeatscanalsovaryfrom weektoweekand this
is perfectly normal. By seven months babiesshould
ideally be having threesolid mealsa day.It'sa good
idea t o takeyourchild t o be weighed regulally by
your health visitor. If she is growingalongonecentile
lineon her growth chart and not crossing up or
down lines,then she iseatingthe right amountthis is because babies can dropa coupleof linesthen
grow along a lower one, leadingto abnormal growth
and failuretofulfil theirgenetic potential.

SECOND-STAGE WEANING

51

Fruit
Vegetables
Your baby should now beable toeatall fruits,
Your baby is nowable toeat all vegetables, but
if certain flavours-likethat of spinach or broccoliand both fresh and driedfruits make a great snack.
Differentfruitscontain differentvitamins,~~
include
are toostrong,try mixingthem togetherwith a
cheese sauce or with root vegetables like sweet
as muchvariety as possible.Driedfruits are also a
potato,carrot or potato.Combinations ofvegetables
good sourceof other nutrientsand energy.Takecare
t o remove any stones before givingfruit,and don't
and fruit are also good-try butternut squash and
apple,or spinach and pear.Steamedvegetables,like
give wholegrapesto young babies as they may
carrot sticksor small florets o f cauliflower, make
choke on them.
Vitamin C boosts iron absorption so it's important
good fingerfood.
to includevitamin C-rich fruits iikecitrus or berry
i
.
.
-fruits in yourchild'sdiet.lt'sgood t o give cereal with <~rozenve~etablesarefrozen within hoursof
l
diluted orangejuice in the morning.Orangejuice
[ being picked,thus sealingin all the nutrients,so
alsocombines well with savouryfoods likecarrot.
it'sabsolutelyfineto usethem t o make your baby's
fish and liver.To begin with,give berry and citrus
purees.Whilstyou cannotthaw and refreezefrozen
fruits in small quantities asthey can be indigestible, / foods,e.g. baby purees.th1sdoes notapplyto frozen
and some babies can have an adverse reaction t o
/ vegetables;you can usetheseto make baby purees
them.Combine them with other fruits like apple,
\ and then refreeze them.
\
. L_..
_banana,pear or peach.Kiwifruit can also cause an
allergic reaction in some young children.This is rare,
Eggs
Eggsare an excellent sourceof protein and also
but do watch your baby closely,especially ifthere
is afamily history of allergiesor conditions suc$
contain iron and zinc.They can be givenfrom six
as eczema or asthma.
months, but don't serve raw or lightly cooked eggs

1
i

1'

t o babies under one year as there is a riskof

salmonella.The white and yolkshould becooked
until solid. Hard-boiled eggs,omelettes and
well-cooked scrambled eggsarequicktocook
and nutritious.
-~

<

:.

.;,

.-

Avegetarian diet can be fine for babies and small

children as long as it iscarefully balanced and does
not contain too muchfibre.Unlikeadults,a bulky
high-fibrediet is unsuitableforchildren as it istoo
low in caloriesand essential fatsand hinderstheir
absorption of iron.The nutrients that you will need
t o pay extra attention t o are protein,iron,zincand
the6vltamins-theseare usually provided by meat,
Below isa list offoodsthatyou should includein
a vegetarian baby's diet:
Dairy products,eggs, beans,lentils,fortified
breakfast cereals, beans and pulses e.g. lentils, soya
e.g.tofu,greenvegetables e.g.spinach and broccoli,
driedfruit

Fish
Many children growup dislikingfishas they find
it bland and boring,so! try t o mix it with stronger
tastes,like salmon with carrots,tomatoandgrated
Cheddar or my tasty combination offilletsof cod
with grated cheese,orange juice and crushed
cornflakes (believe me, it's yummy). Ifyour child
gets excited at the prospect offish for dinner,
then you deserve t o be a very proud parent indeed.
Iffish isovercooked it becomestough and
tasteless. It is cooked when itjust flakes with a
fork but is still firm. Always checkvery carefully
for bones before serving.
It's hard t o findjars of pureecontainingfish;
however,oiiyfish like salmon,trout,fresh tuna
and sardines are particularly important for the
development o f a baby's brain, nervous system
andvision and ideally should be included in the
diet twicea week.Fats area major component
ofthe brain-forthis reason,50 percent ofthe
caloriesof breast milkarecomposed of fat.

Iron is important foryour baby's brain development.

especially between six months and t w o years.The

Meat
Chicken isan ideal first meat.lt blendsweli with
root vegetables like carrot and sweet potato, which
givechicken pureea smoothertexture.Chicken also
works well with fruits likeappleand grape.Homemade chicken stock forms the basis o f many recipes
so I recommend that you make large batches.lt will
keep in the fridge for 3-4days. However,do not
usefrozen stockto make pureesand then refreeze
it.You can buy unsalted, ready-made stock.
. .~ ..

.~~

Iso usingthethigh
meat-thedark meat o f chicken containstwice

Iron deficiency anaemia is the most common

nutritional problem during early childhood,the
symptomsof which can be hardtodeteckyour
baby mayjust betired and pale and more proneto
infection,or his growth and development may seem
t o slowdown. Red meat provides the best source of
iron,particularly liver,which is ideal for babies$ it
has a soft texture and is easy t o digest. Babies 'ften
reject red meats, not because of thetaste but the
chewytexture. It's a good idea t o combine it with
rootvegetabies or pasta,as they heipto producea
texture that is much smoother and easierto swallow.

NEW COMPLETE BABY &TODDLER MEAL PLANNER

-- ---

thefirst year and a deficiency in iron can have a

children.lt'sa good sourceof carbohydrateand.

addingtiny pastashapes t o purees when your baby
isabout eight months isa good waytoencourage
chewing. Many vegetable purees make good pasta
sauces, t o which you could add a little grated cheese.
Buy tiny pasta shapes like starsor shells (see page
zoS).Also trycouscous, which has a soft texture
perfectfor babies.lt isquickto cookand combines
weil with diced chicken orvegetables.

who arefed exclusively on jars often have a really

Fruit

Going Bananas oo
Babies love bananasand this recipe makesthem tastetruly scrumptious.
It is delicious withvanilla icecream.Try t o use bananas with brown spots
on theskin,asthisshowsthey are ripe.
M A K E S 1 PORTION

a knob of butter
Ismall banana, peeled andsliced
apinch of ground cinnamon
2 tablespoonsfreshlysqueezedorangejuice
Meltthe butter In a smallfrylng pan,stir in the sliced banana,sprinkle with
a llttlecinnamon and saute for 2 minutes. Pour in theorangejuiceand continue
t o cookfor another2 minutes.Mash with a fork.

Banana and Blueberry oo

Bananas combine well with lots of different fruits.Try also peach,mango,
dried apricot or prune.You can also mix banana and fruit combinations
with somefull-fat natural yoghurt.Serve straight away, before the banana
turns brown.
MAKES 1 PORTION

q g / i oz blueberries
Itablespoon water
l
Ismall ripe banana,peeledand sliced
1

11.

Putthe blueberries Into a saucepan with the water and cookfor about 2 minutes
or until thefruitjust startsto burst open.Whiz with a hand blendectogether
with the sliced banana, until smooth.

Peach, Apple and

Strawberry Puree C.: G;)

ii,

You could also makeApple,Strawberryand Blueberry Puree using25 g11 oz

blueberries instead o f peach.

r.

r/

Y--"

MAKES 2 PORTIONS
7 large apple, peeled, cored and chopped
Ilarge ripe peach, peeled, stoned and chopped
759/3 ozstrawberries, halved
i tablespoon baby rice
Steam theappleforabout4minutes.Add the peach and strawberries t o the
steamer and continue tocookforabout 3 minutes. Blend thefruitstoa smooth
puree and stir in the baby rice.

Apple,Apricot and Tofu Q o

Tofu is soya bean curd madefrom soya milk.It'sa really good source of protein
ifyou want t o bringyour child up on avegetarian diet. It's alsoan excellent
source of calcium,so addingtofu t o fruit orvegetable purees is a good way
t o boostthecalcium intakeof babies whoare ailergictocow's milk.
MAKES 2 PORTIONS
2 eating apples! peeled, cored and chopped

6 dried apricots, chopped

7 5 9 4 ozsoft tofu

Place the apples and apricots in a pan and coverwith water.Bringtothe boil,
reduce the heat,coverand simmerforabout 5 minutes.Puree thefruit in a hand
biender,togetherwith the tofu.

Apricot, Apple and Peach Puree

Dried apricots are a concentrated sourceof nutrients,they are rich in iron,
potassium and betacarotene, and babies tend to liketheir sweet flavour.
MAKES 5 PORTIONS

759/3 oz ready-to-eat dried apricots

z apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1 large ripe peach, skinned, stoned and chopped,

or iripe pear, peeled, cored and chopped

put theapricots into a small saucepan and cover with water. Cook over a low
heat for 5 minutes.Add thechopped apples and continuetocookfor 5 minutes.
Pureetogetherwith the peach or pear.

Yoghurt and Fruit

It's importantto makesurethat as well as fruit and vegetables,your baby
gets enoughfat in hisdiet. Recipes likevegetables in cheese sauceand fruit
mixes with yoghurt arevery good for babies.
- - -7

MAKES 1 PORTION

fresh fruit, e.g. irfpepeach, small mango a r a combination

like mangoand banana
2 tablespoonsfull-fat naturalyoghurt
a little maplesyrup (optional)

'-c.c

Peel thefruit,removeany stones,mash theflesh and mixwith the yoghurt.

Stir in a little maple syruptosweeten if necessary.

Lovely Lentils :I
o+o

Vegetables

Lentils area good cheap sourceof protein.They

vide iron, which is very
importantfor brain development particularly b
the ages of six months
and twoyears. Lentiiscan be difficult foryoung babiestodigest and should
be combined with plenty offresh vegetables as in this recipe.Thistasty puree
alsomakesadelicioussoupforthefamily by simplyaddingmorestockand
some seasoning.
MAKES 8 PORTIONS

%small onlon,finely chopped

ioog/4 oz carrot, chopped
15g/% az celery, chopped
itablespoon vegetable oil
50 g/2 ozsplit red lentils
200 g/7 oz sweet potato, peeled and chopped
400 ml/iqp o r vegetable or chicken stock (seepage38 or 76) or water
Sautetheonion,carrot and celery in thevegetable oil for about 5 minutes or
until softened.Add the lentils and sweet potatoand pouroverthestockorwater.
Bringtothe boil,turn down the heat and simmer covered for 2 0 minutes. Puree
in a blender.

Tomatoes and Carrots w i t h Basil

* oo

Ifyou introduceyour babyto new flavours at an early age, hewill tend togrow
up a less fussy eater.
MAKES 4 PORTIONS

125g/4% oz carrots, peeled andsliced

~ o o g / !oz cauliflower, cut intoflorets
25g/1 oz butter
2009/70z ripe tomatoes, skinned, deseededand roughly chopped
2-3 fresh basil leaves
50 g/2 oz Cheddar cheese,grated
Putthecarrots in a small saucepan,coverwith boilingwaterand simmer,
covered,forio minutes.Add thecauliflowerand cook,covered,for7-8 minutes,
adding extra water if necessary.Meanwhile, melt the butter,add the tomatoes
and saute untii mushy.Stir in the basil and cheese untii meited.Pureethe
carrots and cauliflowerwith about 3 tablespoonsofthe cooking liquid and
the tomato sauce.

Baked Sweet Potato w i t h Orange +% ::o o

Sweet potatoes are delicious baked like jacket potatoes either in the oven
or microwaveand then combined with fruit likeappleor peach pur&e.They
are a good source o f carbohydrate,vitaminsand minerals.

MAKES 8 PORTIONS
7 medium sweet potato,

scrubbed

2 table~poon~fre~hly~queezedorangejuice
2 tablespoons milk

Cookthesweet potatoon a bakingsheet in an oven preheated to200CI

4o0F/Gas 6for about1 houror until tender.Cool a little,then scoop out
theflesh. PurGeor mash with the orangejuiceand milk until smooth.

Sweet Potato w i t h Spinach

and Peas+: : o o
This puree makesa tasty introduction t o spinach foryour baby.
MAKES 5 PORTIONS
20 9/3/4 02 buffer

50 9/2 02 leek,finely sliced

i sweet potato (about 375 9/13 OZ), peeled and chopped
200 ml/7floz water
5og/z ozfrozen peas
75g/3 ozfresh baby spinach, washedandany tough stalks removed
Meltthe butter in a saucepan and saute the leekfor 2-3 minutesor until
softened.Add thesweet potato. Pour overthe water, bringto the boil,then
cover and simmerfor7-8 minutes.Add the peasand spinach and cookfor
3 minutes.Pureethevegetables in a baby food grinder or blenderto make
a smooth consistency.

cauliflower Cheese % :
:a
his is a greatfavourite with babies.Try using different cheeses or combinations
of cheese until you find your baby's preferred taste.Thecheese sauce can be
usedovera mixture o f vegetables as well.
MAKES 5 PORTIONS

~75g/60zcauliflower
CHEESE SAUCE

15gP/2 oz butter
7 tablespoon plainflour
150 rnl/5J oz milk
p g / . oz Cheddar, Edam or Gruyere cheese,grated
Wash the cauliflower carefully,divide it into small florets and steam until tender
(about 10 minutes). Meanwhile,forthe sauce, melt the butterovera low heat in
a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir in theflourto make a smooth paste.Whisk
in the miikand stiruntil thickened.Take thesaucepan offthe heatand stir i n
the grated cheese.Keepstirring until all the cheese has melted and the sauce
is smooth.
Add thecauliflowertothe sauceand pur6e in a blenderforyounger babies.
For older babies, mash with a fork or chop into little pieces.

SECOND-STAGEWEANING
67

Courgette Gratin
Thiscreamy puree is alsogood using broccoli.
MAKES 6 PORTIONS
imedium potato [about ioog/4 oz),peeledond chopped
i75g/6 m courgettes, sliced
a knob of butter
40 917% oz Cheddar or Gruyere cheese
4 tablespoons milk
Boil the potato until soft.Steam thecourgettesfor 6-7 minutes. Drain the
potatoes,add the butter and cheese and stir until melted. pureethe potato
mixture,courgettesand milk with an electric hand blenderor mash for
older babies.

Leek a n d Potato Puree -.::,.:;, :;

This was Lara's favourite vegetable puree. It also makes a delicious soup
for adults ifyou add seasoning.
MAKES 4 PORTIONS
25g/i m butter
125g/4% oz leeks,fine!vsliced
z5og/g ozpotatoes, peeled and chopped
300 ml/iofl oz chicken or vegetable stock (see page 76 or38)
2 tablespoons ~ j e e k ~ o g h u r t
Heatthe buttelin a saucepan.Add the leeksand cookovera low heat for5
minutes,stirringoccasionally.Add the potatoesand pour overthe stock.Cover
and cookforabout 12 minutesor until tender.Strain thevegetablesand puree
in a mouli or blender,addingas much ofthecooking liquid a; necessaryto
makea smooth consistency.Stir in theyoghurt.

Courgette and Pea Souper

When i experimented with thiscombination,the baby puree turned o u t t o
besogood that I also made a delicious soup forthe rest of thefamiiy.Simply
increasethe quantities and add extra stock and seasoning.
MAKES 4 PORTIONS

)$small onion,peeled andfinely chopped

50 g12 oz courgette, trimmedand thinlysliced

,medium potato (about ?(;og/5oz),peeiedandchopped

ozchicken or vegetablestock (seepage 76 or38)
25 g11 ozfrozen peas
720 ml/4fl

Saute the onion in the butter until softened.Add thecourgette,potatoand stock.

Bringtothe boil,then cover and simmer for12 minutes.Add thefrozen peas,
bringto the boil,then reduce the heat and continue tocookfor4-5 minutes.
puree in a blender.

SECOND-STAGEWEANING

69

Minestrone
Thevegetables in minestronesoup add texture but are niceand soft for
your baby t o chew. However,foryounger babiesyou could blend this soup
t o thedesired texture.Add a little seasoning and someextra stockto
make this into a delicious soupforthe rest ofthefamily.
MAKES 4 ADULT PORTIONS OR 12 BABY PORTIONS
Itablespoon vegetable oil
%small onion,finely chopped
%leek, white part only, washed andfinely chopped
r medium carrot,peeled and diced
%celery stalk, diced
l o o g/4 oz French beans, cut
into Icm/% inch lengths
1potato, peeled and diced
Itablespoonfresh parslejfinely chopped
2 teaspoons tomatopurie
1.2 litres/z pints chicken or vegetable stock (seepages 76 and38)
3 tablespoonsfrozen peas
50 g/2 oz verysmallpasta shapes (see m y own range of pasta
shells, pagezo8)

Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry theonion and leekfor 2 minutes,then
add thecarrot,ceiery,French beans, potato and parsley and saute for
4 minutes.Stir in the tomato puree and cookfori minute. Pour overthe
chicken orvegetablestockand simmer,coverid,for 2 0 minutes.Add the
frozen peasand pasta and cookfor 5 minutesj(checkthe packet
instructions forthe cooking time o f pasta). ,

70

NEW COMPLETE BABY &TODDLER MEAL PLANNER

Salmon with Carrots and Tomato

This makesa good,creamy-texturedfish puree
MAKES 4 PORTIONS
225 g/8

oz carrots, peeled and sliced

750 g/5 oz salmonfillet
%tablespoon milk(orenough to cover thesolmon,see method below)
3og/7 02 buffer
2 ripe tomatoes, skinned, deseededond chopped
4og/1% oz Cheddar cheese,groted
Putthecarrots in a steamer set over a pan of boilingwater and cookfor 15-20
minutesor until tender.Meanwhiie,place the fish in a microwavedish,add the
milk,dot with halfthe butterand cover,leaving an airvent.Microwaveon High
for 1 5 2 minutes.Alternatively,put the salmon in a pan,pour over enough milk
tojust cover,and simmerforabout4minutes or until cooked.
Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan,add the tomatoes and saute until
softened and slightly mushy.Removefrom the heat and stir in thecheese until
melted. Blend thecooked carrots with thetomato mixture. Drain thecooking
liquorfrom thefish,removetheskin and check there are no bones. Flakethe fish
and mix it with thecarrots and tomatoes. Foryounger babiesyou can blend the
fish togetherwith the carrotsand tomato for a smoothertexture.

source of essential fatty acids,which arevery important

for brain development-a baby's brain triples in size in the first
year.Adiet rich i n EFAr ran helpchildren w h o havedyslexia,ADHD
and dy5praxia.A lot of foods are n o w enriched w i t h amega-3; however,
mostofthereareplant-derived ratherthan fish oii-derivedand are

i n quantities that provide little benefit. It is much better t o

concentratean natural sources.

.
72

NEW COMPLETE BABY &TODDLER MEAL PLANNER

Plaice w i t h Spinach a n d Cheese

Frozenvegetables are a good alternativetofresh,and can often be more

nutritiousthan vegetables that have been in the kitchen for several days
It also rneansyou can makethis when fresh spinach is not available.
MAKES 8 PORTIONS
225 g/8

ozplaicefillets, skinned

itablespoon milk
ibay leaf
afewpeppercorns
a knob of butter
1759/6 ozfresh or 75 g/3 ozfrozen spinach

CHEESE SAUCE
25 gR oz butter
2 table~poan~plainflour

175 m1/6 floz milk

50g/2 oz Gruyere cheese

Put the plaice in a suitable dish with the milk, b i y leaf,peppercorns a&
butter and rnicrowaveforabout 3 rninuteson High.Or,poach in a sauceban
for 5 rninutes.Meanwhile,cookthe spinach in a saucepan withjust a little water
clinging tothe leavesforabout 3 minutesorcookfrozen spinachfollowing
the packet instructions.Squeezeoutthe excess water.Make thecheese sauce
(see page 67). Discard the bay leaf and peppercorns, flake the fish carefully
and puree with thespinach and cheesesaucetothedesired consistency.

74
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NEW COMPLETE BABY &TODDLER MEAL PLANNER

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Fillet o f Cod w i t h Sweet Potato

Theorange-fleshed sweet potatois an excellent sourceof betacarotene,which
may help t o prevent certain types o f cancer.
MAKES 8 PORTIONS
2259/8 oz sweet potato, peeled
75 g/3 oz cod, skinnedandfilleted
2 tablespoons milk
a knob of buffer
juice of 7 orange (about 720 ml/qfl oz)
Putthesweet potatointoa saucepan,just coverwith water, bringto the boil,
then cover and simmerfor 20 minutesor until soft.Putthefish in a suitabledish,
add the milk,dotwith butter,cover and microwaveon High for 2 minutesor until
thefish iscooked.Alternatively,poach the fish in a saucepan with the milkand
butter for 6-7 minutesor until just cooked through.Put thecooked sweet potato,
drainedfish and orangejuice into a blender and puree until smooth.

Fillet o f Fish i n an Orange Sauce

Overthelastigyearsthis has been averypopular recipe-it hasa lovely rich taste.

MAKES 5 PORTIONS
225g/8 ozfillet offih,skinned,
e.g. cod, haddock orhake
juice of 7 orange (about 720 ml/4 floz)
4og/7% oz Cheddarcheese, grated
r dessertspoonfresh parsle%finely chopped
25 917 oz crushedcornflakes
79/54 oz margarine
Putthe haddockin a greased dish,coverwith theorangejuice,cheese,parsley
and cornflakes and dot with the margarine.Coverwith foil and bake inan oven
preheated t o i80C13500FIGasqfor about 2 0 minutes. Alternatively,cover with
a lid and cookin a microwaveon High for4minutes.
Flakethe fish carefully,removingany bones,and mash everything
togetherwith the liquid in which thefish was cooked.
SECOND-STAGEWEANING

75

Chicken w i t h C o t t a g e Cheese
Babies ofthis age area little too youngto eat piecesof chicken asfingerfood
Thisand thefollowing three recipesshowyou simple ways of transforming
cold chicken intotasty food foryour baby.
MAKES 2 PORTIONS

50 g/2 oz cooked boneless chicken, chopped

itabiespoon naturalyoghurt
1% tablespoons cottage cheese with pineapple

Mixtogetherthechicken,yoghurt and cottage cheese. Blend t o the

desired consistency.

Chicken Salad Puree

What could be simpler? Fortoddlers,simply chop the ingredients,leave out
the yoghurt and mix with mayonnaise or salad cream.
MAKES 1 PORTION

q g / i ozcooked boneless chicken

islice cucumber,peeled and chopped
ismall tomato, skinned, deseededand chopped
50 g/2 oz avocado, peeled and chopped
itabiespoon mildnaturalyoghurt
Put all the ingredients intoa blenderand puree until the desired con!istency.
Serve immediately.

SECOND-STAGE WEANING

Chicken w i t h Sweet Potato

and Apple
This combination gives a smooth texture and sweet taste that babies like.
MAKES 4 PORTIONS

i5g/% oz butter
40 g/i% oz onion, chopped
ioog/4 oz chicken breast, chopped
%eating apple, peeled and chopped
isweetpotato (about3oog/li oz),peeledandchopped
200 ml/7flozchicken stock (seepage 76)
Melt the butter in a saucepan,add theonion and sautefor 2-3 minutes.
Add thechicken and saute until it turns opaque.Add theapple,sweet potato
and stock. Bring to the boi1,coverand simmerfor15 minutes. Purie t o the
desired consistency.

Easy One-Pot Chicken

7 ,i .

This isan ideal puree for introducingyoung babies tochicken.

MAKES 12 PORTIONS

%small onion, peeled and chopped

15g/% oz butter
ioog/4 oz chicken breast, cut into chunks
imedium carrot, peeled and sliced
275g/io m sweet potato, peeled and chopped
j o o ml/io floz chicken stock (seepage 76)

Saute theonion in the butter until softened.Add the chicken breast and saute
for 3-4minutes.Add thevegetables, pour overthe stock, bring tothe boil and
simmer,covered,forabout 30 minutes or until thechicken is cooked through
and thevegetablesare tender. Purge in a blenderto the desired consistency.

Chicken in Tomato Sauce 'X o o

MAKES 12 PORTIONS
z5g/1 oz choppedonion
ioog/4 ozcarrot, thinlysliced
1% tablespoons vegetable oil
~smailchickenbreast, cut into chunks
ioog/' ozpotato, peeled and chopped
zoo g/7 oz canned choppedtomatoes
150 ml/sj? oz chicken stock (seepage 76)
Saute the onion and carrot in thevegetable oil until softened,then add the
chicken and potatoand continue tocookfor3 minutes. Pouroverthechopped
tomatoestogetherwith thechicken stock. Bringto the boil and cookover a
low heat for about 30 minutes or until the potato isquitesoft. Put the mixture
through a mouli or,for babies of nine monthsand older,chop in a blender.
You could also add a little milkto make a smoothertexture if you wish.

Fruity Chicken w i t h Apricots : o o

Babies likethecombination ofchicken andfruit.Dried apricotsareoneof
nature's great health foods.They are a good source of betacarotene, iron and
potassium and the drying process increases their concentration.They also make
greatfingerfood.This isgood by itself or you can mix it with4tablespoons of
cooked rice or pasta.
MAKES 3 PORTIONS
2

teaspoons light olive oil

% smailonion, chopped (approx. 5og/z oz]

ismailgarlicciove,

crushed
75g/3 ozchicken breast, cut into pieces
3 dried apricots, chopped
750 m1/5flozpassata (sieved tomatoes)
150 ml/s floz chicken stock (seepage 76)or water
Heattheoil in a pan and saute theonion for about 5 minutesor until softened.
Add thegariicand cookfori minute.Add thechicken and sautefor 273 minutes
until sealed. Add the apricots, passata and stockor water. Bring t o the.boil then
cover and simmerfor about 5 minutes.

~
~~

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SECOND-STAGEWEANING

81

Red meats

Braised Beef w i t h Sweet Potato

Both this and the recipe below makegood introductions t o red meat.
MAKES 6 PORTIONS
20g/3/4 oz butterormargarine
r leek, washed ondsliced (approx. 150 g/5 oz)
i25g/4% oz braising steak, cut into cubes
itablespoonflour
l o o g/4 oz button mushrooms, sliced
275g/ro ozsweetpotato, peeledandchopped
250 m1/8fi oz chicken stock (seepage 76)
juiceof iorange (about 120 ml/4 floz)
Meltthe butter or margarine in a flameproof casserole and saute the leekfor
about 4 minutes until softened. Roll the meat in theflour,add tothe leekand
saute until browned.Add the mushrooms and and saute for1 minute.Add the
sweet potato,stockand orangejuice.Bring tothe boil and transfertoan oven
preheated toi80C13500WGasqfor~'/4hours or until the meat is tender. Blend
tothedesired consistency usingas much of the cooking liquid as necessary.

Liver Special +$+ ::,:.;:

MAKES 6 PORTIONS
75g/3 oz calf's liver, or 2 chicken livers
120 ml/4fi oz chicben stock (see page 76)
25g/r oz leek, wh'tepart only, chopped
25g/r m mushrooms, chopped
..
50g/2 oz carrot, Peeledand chopped
r potato, peeled and chopped
a knob of butter
%tablespoon milk

Trim and chopthe liver and cook in the stock with the leek,mushrooms and
carrot forabout 8 minutes over a low heat.Boil the potato until tender and mash
with the butter and milk.Puree the liver andvegetablesand mix with the potato.

Pasta

Tomato and Courgette

Pasta Stars % o o
Thistasty pasta sauce takes only about 10 minutes t o prepare
MAKES 3 PORTIONS

25 g/i ozpasta stars, uncooked

75 913 oz courgette, trimmed and diced
z5g/' oz butter
3 medium tomatoes (about 2oog/7oz), skinned, deseededandchopped
25g/l oz Cheddar cheese,grated
Cook the pasta according t o the packet instructions, or longer for young babies.
Sautethecourgettein the butterfor about 5 minutes.Add the tomatoesand
cookover a low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese
until melted.Pur6e in a blender and stir in the pasta.

Vegetable and Cheese

Pasta Sauce % 3:
MAKES 3 PORTIONS OF SAUCE
659/2% oz carrot, peeled andsliced
40 g/'% oz broccoliflorets
25 g/i oz butter
2 tablespoonsplain flour
175 ml/6fl oz mild
l
40 g/'% ozgrateq Cheddar cheese
Steam the carrot'forio minutes,then add the broccolifioretsand cookfor
7 minutes more.Meanwhile,melt the butter in a small saucepan and stir in
theflourto makea thick paste.Gradualiy add the milk, bringtothe boil and
stir continuously until the saucethickens.5immerfori minute.Removefrom
the heat and stir in the grated cheese.Add the cooked vegetablestothe
cheese sauce and blend t o a pur@e.Servewith tiny cooked pasta shapes.

My First Bolognese Sauce

':l

M A K E S 3 PORTIONS

Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce

M A K E S 2 PORTIONS OF S A U C E

N E W COMPLETE B A B Y & T O D D L E R M E A L PLANNER

.,

Second-stage weaning meal planner

~

Day1

Breakfast

Mid-morning

Lunch

Weetabix
with milk
Mashedbanana
Milk

Milk

Chickenwith
Sweet Potato

Milk

..

Breakfast

Mid-morning

Lunch

Mid-afternoon

Tea

Bedtime

Day S

Weeta bix
with milk
Peach,Apple
and Strawberry
PurCe
Milk

Milk

Pasta with
vege<able and
Cheese Pasta
Sauce
Going Bananas
Juice

Milk

My First
Bolognese
Sauce
Pear puree
Water orjuice

Milk

Day 6

Babycereal
with milk
Peach,Apple
and Strawberry
Puree
Milk

Milk

Tomatoes and
Carrots with
Basil
Fruit
Juice

Milk

Fillet of Fish in
an Orange
Sauce
Fruit
Water

Milk

Day 7

Ready Brek
with milk
Yoghurt
and Fruit
Milk

Milk

Sweet Potato
with Spinach
and Peas
Apricot,Apple
and Peach
PurCe
Juice

Milk

Easy One-Pot
Chicken
Apricot.Apple
and Peach
PurCe
Waterorjuice

Milk

C H A P T E R FOUR

Nine to twelve months

becauseshewants more milk, but often babiesofthisage

aregiven too much milkand not enough solidfood.ifyou
fill your baby's stomach with milkwhen she really wants'
some solidfood,you will not get avery satisfied baby.
Whilst it isa good idea t o switch offtheTVand t r y t o
provide a calm atmosphere-there is no doubt thatthere
are some babies who will eat much betterwith the
ntle distraction o f a simple (washable) toy atthe highair.Some babies are much easiertofeed iftheir hands
your baby a spoonlo hold is also

Ifyou havea juice extractor,you can makeall sorts

of wonderful fruit andvegetable drinksforyour baby try combinations like apple,strawberryand banana.
Your baby should now bedrinking happilyfrom a cup,
the bottle keptfor her bedtime drink ofwarm milk.
Your baby will be teethingatthis age and very often sore
gums can put heroffeatingfora while.Don't worry,as
she will make up forthis laterthat day orthe next day.
(Rubbinga teething gel on your baby's gums,orgiving
her somethingverycold t o chew,can help relieve
soreness and restoreappetite.)
it is a good idea toeat somethingwith your baby
at mealtimes.Therearesome mothers who sit opposite
their babies and t r y t o spoon food intotheir mouths
whilst eating nothingthemselves. Babies are great
mimics and will be much more likely toenjoy eating
if they see you tuckingin as well.
When iearningtofeed themselves, babies should
be allowed tosmearfood and generally make a mess.
-

NINE TOTWELVE MONTHS

93

ake mealtimesa positive experience.Many babie

The Foods t o Choose

Nowyou can bea little moreadventurous with the
food that you makeforyour baby.lt isa good idea t o
develop hertastesforgarlicand herbs, both of which
arevery healthy.Children tend t o be less fussy eaters
if they are Introduced t o a wide rangeoffoodsearly.
Again,ifyour baby dislikes certainfoods,neverforce
hertoeatthem;just leaveout thosefoods and
perhaps reintroducethem in a couple of days'tjme.
Try also tovary thefoodsas much as possible,asthis
1
will lead t o a more balanced diet.lfyou giveyovrchild
a favouritefood too oftenit is possibleshe will gooff
it altogether.
Your baby can now eat berryfruits (these can be
sieved toget rid of the indigestible seeds). Fruitjellies
will be interestingforyour babyto lookat,feel and
eat.Your baby should also like fruit andvegetables
that have been grated.

94

Oilyfish like salmon,sardinesandfresh tuna should

be included in your baby's diet as'they contain
essential fatty acids and iron that are important for
the brain andvisual development. Fish isquite simple
tocookand ifyou use my recipes it is easyto make
it appealingtoyour baby.All fish must obviously
be veryfresh.
When possible,tryto make your baby'sfood
lookattractiveon the plate.Choose colourful fruit
andvegetablesand make shapes like littlefaces.
Don't piletoo much food onto the plateand use
mini-ramekin dishesto make individual portions o f
shepherd's pieorfish pie (you can alsofreeze them).
Meat
Red meat is good foryoung children as it provides the
best source o f iron.lf usingfresh mince choosegoodquality meat and ask your butcherto mince it foryou
ratherthan buyingit ready prepared.Aftercooking
mincefor-young babies,Ifind that if I chop it in afood
processorfor 30 seconds, it becomes softer and easier
t o chew.At this age it isgood t o mix meat with tiny
pasta shapes or rice.lt is best notto give sausages or
other processed meats t o children, like p i t e o r meat
pies.The cocktail meatballson page180 would make
excellentfingerfood.

NEW COMPLETE BABV&TODDLER MEAL PLANNER

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Textures and quantities

It isvery easy for a baby t o choke on even very small

It iseasy toget into the habit of only giving your

baby soft foods, but you should t r y t o varythe
consistency ofthefood you offer.There is no need
t o puree all foods. Babies do not need teeth t o be
ab1etochew;gums do a greatjobon foods that are
not too hard.Give somefood mashed (fish),some
grated (cheese),some diced (carrots) and some
whole (pieces of chicken,slices of toast and pieces
o f rawfruit).
As far asquantities are concerned,you must let
your baby'sappetiie beyourguide.You can start
tofreezefood in larger plasticcontainers and freeze
individual portions like mini shepherd's pies in small
ramekin dishes.Many meals in thischapter can be
enjoyed by the wholefamily,in which caseadultsized portions are given.

piecesof food.Avoid givingyour baby whole nuts,

fruits that contain stones, whoiegrapes, ice cubes,
oiivesor any other foods that might get stuckin
herthroat.
WhatTo Do If Your Baby Chokes
Ifyour baby chokes,lay herfacedown on your
forearm or lap with her head lowerthan herchest
Support her head and give her five light slaps
between her shoulders with yourfree hand.

Finger foods

Fruit and Ice Lollies

When givingyour babyfruit, make sureany pips
or stones have been removed.lf she finds it difficult
t o chew,givesof+fruits that melt in the mouth such
as bananas,peaches or gratedfruits.Berry and citrus
fruitsshouid only be given in small quantitiesto
startwith. Remove as much pith as possible.

Bytheageof nine months,your babywill probably

want t o start feeding herself It is a good idea,
therefore,to start giving her somefoods that are
easy toeat with herfingers. Fingerfoods aregreat
foroccupyingyourchild while you prepare her meal
-or you could make a whole meal o f fingerfoods.
Never leave your child unattended whilst eating.

Many babies whoare teething really enjoy biting

into something cold asthissoothes soregums.
Try makingfresh fruit ice lol1ies:fili lolly moulds
with tasty combinations of pureedfruit,fruitjuices,
smoothies and yoghurt (see page 208for my own
range of lolly moulds).

N I N E T O T W E L V E MONTHS

95

Dried Fruits
These are a good sourceoffibre,iron and energy.
Choose ready-to-eatfruitsthat are soft.Some dried
apricots are treated with sulphurdioxide t o preserve
their bright orangecolour;theseshould be avoided
asthey can trigger an asthma attack in susceptible
babies.Don't give your baby lots o f driedfruit as
it can be difficult todigest-and laxative.
Fruity ideas
Apple,apricot,avocado, banana, blueberries,
cherries,clementine,grapes, kiwifruit,mango,
melon, nectarine,orange,papaya, peach,pear,
plum,raspberries,strawberries,tomato
Morefruity ideas
Apple rings,dried apricots, banana chips,dates,
dried pears, prunes, raisins,suitanas

Vegetables
To begin with,give your baby softcookedvegetables
cut into piecesthatareeasyfor herto hold,a(nd
I
encourage herto biteoff little pieces.(lt is bestto
steam vegetablesasthiswill helpto preservevitamin
C.) Graduallycookthevegetablesforless timeso
that your baby gets used t o havingto chew harder.
Once your baby hasgood coordination,she will enjoy
picking up little vegetables like peas and sweetcorn.
When your baby has mastered the art offeeding
herself cooked vegetables,you can introduce raw
vegetables. Even ifyour baby is unableto bite into
96

NEW COMPLETE BABY &TODDLER M E A L PLANNER

thesesticks,she will enjoy chewingon them asan

aid toteething.Infact,sticksof rawvegetables such
ascarrots and cucumber arevery soothingfor sore
gums if they are chilled in the freezer or in iced water
for a few minutes. Large pieces o f raw vegetables are
saferthan small pieces asa babywill nibbleoffwhat
shecan manage,whereas a small piece put into her
mouth wholecould cause hertochoke if she tried
t o swallow it.
Once your baby can chewweli,try giving her
corn on thecob.Cutthe corn in half or intothree
pieces or lookout for little mini-sized corn cobs
in somesupermarkets-just rightfor babies.Com
is fun toeat and babies love t o hold and chew it.
Vegetables are also very good when dipped into
saucesand purees.Try usingsomeofthe recipes
forvegetable purees asdipping sauces.
Keepa supply o f pureedvegetables in the freezer,
stored in ice cube trays.lncludefavourites like
butternut squash,sweet potato and carrot and pea
and somethat your child may not be so keen on like
courgette,spinach or brocco1i.Defrost the amount
you need and add them t o popular dishes.
%' Mixthem with pasta sauce and tiny pasta shapes
Hide in cheesy mashed potato
$J Useas a spread in toasted cheese sandwiches.

Breads and Rusks

Piecesoftoast,rusksandfirm bread, like pitta bread
and bagels,makegoodfingerfood and can be

dipped into purees and sauces. Rice cakes come

in lots of different flavours and are excellent for
teething,as they seem t o hold togetherwell.You
can also make grilled cheeseon toast or spread
toastwith no-sugar conserves.
Many baby rusks on the market contain as
much sugar as a sweet biscuit and even so-called
low-sugar ruskscan contain more than 15 per cent
sugar. It isvery easy t o make your own sugar-free
alternativefrom wholemeal bread (see below).

be1ow:useyour imagination t o come up with

origina1,tasty combinations.

Broccoli,carrots,cauliflower,celery,corn on the cob,

courgettes,mushrooms,new potatoes,sweet potato

Breakfast Cereals
Babies love t o pick up and eat little pieces o f
breakfast cereal like Cheerios.Try t o choose cereals
that are fortified with iron andvitamins and which
do not have added sugar. Again, some suggestions
are given below.

For home-madesavoury rusks,simply cut a thick

(1 cml'/z inch) slice of wholemeal (granary or rye)
bread into three strips. Melt 'hteaspoon Marmite
in iteaspoon boiling water,and brush thisevenly
overthe bread strips.Bake in an oven preheated
t o i8o'C135o'F/Cas 4for15 minutes. Leave out the
Marmite ifyour baby prefers and add a little grated
cheese.You can prepare a storeof rusks in advance
and keep them in an airtight containerfor3-4days

Miniature sandwiches
Little sandwiches cut into fingers, squares,small
triangles or even animal shapes using a biscuit
cutter arevery popularwith babies.Some
suggestionsfor sandwich fillings are given

mashed banana andlor peanut butter,tuna with

sweetcorn and mayonnaise, hummus,cottage
cheese with pineapple,cream cheese with
strawberry jam or chopped dried apricots,grated
cheese and tomato, mashed sardines with tomato
ketchup, egg mayonnaise and salad cress

Cheese
Start by givingyour baby grated cheese orcutwaferthin slices.Once she has mastered chewing,you can
move on t o chunks and strips of cheese:l have found
that the following cheeses are especially popular:
Cheddar, mozzarella, Edam,Gouda, Emmenthal and
Cruyere.Cream cheese and cottage cheeses are also
favourites. Keep away from strong cheeses like blue
cheese,Brie and Camembert.Always make surethat
thecheeseyougive your baby is pasteurised.

NINETOTWELVE MONTHS

97

Pasta
Pasta comes in all shapesand sizes, includingtiny
stars, mini shells,and animal and alphabet shapes
(see my own rangeon page 208). i havegiven some
recipesfor pasta sauces but most o f the vegetable
pureescan also be served with pasta.You can try
tossing pasta in melted butter and sprinkling with
grated cheese.This is usually a great favourite,
even with the fussy eaters.
Chicken
Slicesorchunksofcooked chicken (orturkey) make
greatfingerfood.Givethe dark meat as well asthe
white as it contains twiceas much zincand iron. Bang
Bang Chicken and Chicken with Cornflakes (see page
124) are particularly good given as fingerfood.
Fish
Pieces of flaked whitefish aregood as they are low
in fat, high in protein and easyfor your child tochew.
You can give them toyour baby either plain or mixed
with a sauce.Makeyourownfishfingers bycutting
whitefish fillets into strips,coating in flour, bedten
egg and crushed cornflakes,and then frying until
golden.You could also try the Salmon Footballson
pageizo. Dotakeextra care when servingfish t o
your baby in any recipe t o check the fish thoroughly
for bones before you cookit and when flaking it.
Makesureyou includesomeoilyfish likesalmonor
sardines in yourchild's diet, preferably twice a week.

98

N E W C O M P L E T E BABY &TODDLER M E A L PLANNER

Breakfast
Thefirst meal oftheday is importantfor all of us
after a night'sfasting, particularly so forenergetic
babies and toddlers!
Forthis age group recipes can now contain
more interesting and more healthy grains.Wheatgerm is particularly good and can be sprinkled onto
cereals oryoghurt.Mixingcereals and fruit makes
a deliciousand nutritious start t o the day.Many o f
the home-made cereals can be mixed with apple
juice instead of milk.
Cheese Is important for strong bonesand teeth.
You can offer cheese on toast or little stripsforyour
baby t o hold. Eggs are an excellent source of protein.
vitaminsand iron.Giveyour baby scrambled eggsor
an omelette but make sure that thewhite and yolk
are cooked until solid. Fresh fruit providesvitamins,
minerals and substancescalled phytochemicals
which help preventcancer.Givefruitasfingerfoods,
makefruit salads or offer stewedfruit,such as apple
or rhubarb.
Highly refined,sugar-coated cereals should
be avoided. Do not be fooled by the list of added
vitaminson the sideofthe packet-unprocessed
cerealsaremuch healthierforyourchild.Wholegrain
cereals arealso a good source of iron, but you will
need t o include somevitamin C such as diluted
orangejuiceor strawberries in orderforyour baby
toabsorbthe iron.

Breakfast

Fruity Swiss Muesli oo

MAKES 4 CHILD OR 2 ADULT PORTIONS

Fruity Yoghurt oo
MAKES 2 PORTIONS

NlNETOTWELVE MONTHS

."
/7
/,
,!
.._ /'
i'

My Favourite P a n c a k e ~ : : ~ : : ; a
,

Pancakes for breakfast are a treat, and this simple recipe isfoolproof.Pancakes
can be made in advance,refrigerated and reheated.Tofreeze, interleave with
non-stick baking paper.Serve with maple syrupand fresh fruit.
MAKES l 2 PANCAKES

l o o g/4 oz plainflour
generous pinch of salt
2 eggs
j o o ml/iofl oz milk
50g/2 oz melted butte~

Siftthe flour and salt intoa mixing bowl, makea well in the centre and add the
eggs.Use a balloon whiskto incorporatethe eggs into theflour and gradually
whisk in the milk untiljust smooth.
Brush a heavy-based 15-18 cm16-7 inch frying pan with the melted butter
and when hot,pour in about ztablespoons of the batter.Quickly tilt the pan from
side t o side t o form a thin layerof batter and cookfori minute. Flip the pancake
overwith a spatula and cook until the underside is slightly golden.Continuewith
the rest of the batter, brushingthe pan with melted butterwhen necessary.

..

100

NEW COMPLETE B A B Y & TODDLER M E A L PLANNER

Summer Fruit Muesli oo

Simply soaktheoatsovernight andstir in extra fresh fruits like peachesor
strawberriesthe next day for a tasty nutritious muesii.If your baby i s too young
for lumpy food,this can be blended toafine puree.
MAKES 4ADULT PORTIONS

loo g/4 ozporridge oats

z tablespoons sultanas or raisins
300 mi/iop oz apple and mangojuice
2 eating apples, peeled, cored andgrated
4-6 tablespoonsmilk
a little maple syrup or honey t o r babies over iyear)
Mixtheoats,sultanas and appleand mangojuice in a bowl,coverand leave
to soakovernight in thefridge.in the morning stir in the remainingingredients
and any extra fruit and drizzleover a little maple syrup or honey (If using).

Banana and Prune Fool oo

Thisonly takes a coupleof minutesto prepare and it isvery tasty.lt i s also a good
recipetotry ifyour baby i s a little bit constipated.
MAKES 1 PORTION

5 cannedprunes infruitjuice, stoned

ismall ripe banana,peeled
itablespoon naturalyoghurt
I tablespoon cream cheese
Whizthe prunes, bananasyoghurtand creamcheese togetherina bienderwith
I-2tablespoons ofthejuicefrom thecannedfruit.

N l N E T O T W E L V E MONTHS

103

TheThree BearslBreakfast

oo

This makes avery nutritious breakfast, but make sure your child gobbles
it up before Goldilockscomes t o the front door!
MAKES 2 ADULT PORTIONS

300 ml/io fl oz milk

40 9/75 oz porridge oats
25g/1 ozready-to-eat driedpeaches orapricots, chopped
iteaspoon chopped raisins
Pourthe milk intoa saucepan and bring tothe b o i l . ~ i xin theoets and bring
backto the boil,stirring.Add thechopped driedfruit,lowerthe heat and
simmer for about 4 minutes or until thickened.

M a t z o Brei o o
For those of you who have never heard of matzo, it is a large square of
unleavened bread similarto crispbread.When uncooked, it isvery brittle
and my son Nicholas loved tosnap it into pieces and strew it all overthe floor.
This is why I prefer t o serve it cooked!
MAKES ZADULT PORTIONS
2 matzos
iegg,

beaten
25 g/i oz butter
a littlecastersuga~(optionalJ
Breakthe matzos Into bite-sized pieces and soakfora coupleof minutes in cold
water.Squeeze out theexcess water,then add the matzos t o the beaten egg.
Melt the butter in a frying pan until sizzling and fry the matzos on both sides.
Sprinkle with sugar ifwished.

104

NEW COMPLETE BABY &TODDLER M E A L PLANNER

1
I

French Toast Cut-Outs o o

It'sfun sometimes t o cut the bread intoa variety of animal shapes using
biscuit cutters. For a treat,serve with maple syrup orjam.
MAKES 2 PORTIONS
2 tablespoons milk

a pinch ofgroundcinnamon (optional)

2 slices white or raisin bread

25 g/'

oz butter

Beat the egg lightly with the milkand cinnamon,if using,and pour intoa
shallow dish. Dip the bread in this mixture,coatingeach side.Meltthe butter
and fry theslices oranimal shapes until golden on both sides.

Cheese Scramble o o
Until your child is one year,scrambled egg should becooked until it is quite
firm and not runny.You could usecottage cheese instead o f Cheddar.
MAKES 1 PORTION

' egg
tablespoon milk

15 g/%

oz butter
tablespoon Cheddar cheese,finelygrated
i tomato, skinnedanddeseeded
I

Beattheegg with the milk.Melt the butter over a low heatsthenadd the
egg mixture.Cook slowly,stirringall the time.When the mixture has thickened
and looks soft and creamily set,add the cheeseand chopped tomato.
Serve immediately.

NINETOTWELVE M O N T H S

105

Apple and Blackberry :X+

oo
Blackberries and apples make a deiiciouscombination,and the blackberries
(which are rich invitamin C) turn the apples a wonderful purple colour.lnstead
of blackberries you could use other berry fruits like strawberries or blueberries,
ora mixture.
M A K E S 6 PORTIONS
2 cooking apples,peeled,

cored and chopped

7oog/' oz blackberries
50g/2 ozsoft bmwn sugar
Cook the apples and blackberries in a saucepan with the sugar and 2 tablespoons
water.Cook until the apples are soft (15-20 minutes). Put thefruit through a
mouli t o make intoa smooth puree.

Strawberry Rice Pudding oo

Pudding rice has a soft consistency,which isgood for introducing sometexture
into your baby's diet.lt is great mixed with fruit puree like stewed apples and
pears,or add somechopped dried fruit likeapricots when you are cooking the
rice.You could alsostir in a little strawberry jam orgolden syrup.
M A K E S 5 PORTIONS

50 g/2 ozpudding rice

600 ml/ipint milk
1-2 tablespoons castersugar
%teaspoon vanilla essence
Put the rice,milkand sugar in a heavy-based saucepan. Bringto the boil,
then reduce the heat,coverwith a lid and simmer for 30-35 minutes,stirring
occasionally.Mixin yourfavourite flavouringto serve.You can also make rice
pudding in theoven. Put all the ingredients intoa suitable greased dish,dot the
top with butter and bake in an oven preheated to15o"C/3oo"F/Gas 2for about
2 hours,stirringoccasionaliy.

N I N E T O T W E L V E MONTHS

107

Fresh Fruit Ice Lollies

Your baby will be teething at this ageandvery often soregums can put her off
eatingfor a while.Suckingon something cold soothes soregums so a good idea
is t o makefresh fruit ice lollies using pureedfruit,which you can mixwith fruit
juice oryoghurt.You can even pourfruit smoothiesorfreshjuices straight into
lolly moulds. I have brought out a rangeof ice lolly moulds perfect for little
ones (see page 208).

Raspberry and Watermelon

Lollies w o o
MAKES 8 LOLLIES

'/4 watermelon
60 g raspberries
40-50 gR%-2 oz icing sugar
Cut theflesh from the watermelon and remove the seeds.Blend the watermelon
and raspberries together.Strain through a sieve and stir in the icingsugar t o
taste.Pour into lolly moulds and freeze.

MAKES 8 LOLLIES

1large mango, peel and stone removed, diced (at1prox.350

g/rz ozflesh)

180 m1/6% floz tropicalfruitjuice

3 tablespoons icing sugar
1 tablespoon lemonjuice
Blend the ingredients together until smooth.Pour into ice lolly moulds
and freeze.

708

N E W C O M P L E T E BABY &TODDLER M E A L PLANNER

Fresh Fruit w i t h Yoghurt Dip oo

As hand-to-eye coordination improvesfingerfoods becomea more important
part ofyourchild's diet.Start with soft fruits like banana, peach, pear or
strawberr1es.You can alsotry driedfruits like apricotsorapple.Yourchi1d will
have fun picking up the pieces of fruit and dippingthem intothis tastyyoghurt.
MAKES 1 PORTION

aselection offruit cut into pieces largeenough

foryour baby to holdeasily
3 tablespoons Creekyoghurt
i teaspoon milk
i teaspoon icing sugar
i tablespoon lemon curd
Mixtheyoghurt,milk,icingsugarand lemon curd togetherto make the dip.

Dried Apricots w i t h Papaya

and Pear$+oo
Dried apricots are rich in betacarotene and iron and they combine well with
avariety offreshfruits.This isalsogood mixed with yoghurt.lfound that my
children also liked chewingon semi-dried apple rings which areeasy t o hold
becauseofthe hole in the middle.
MAKES 4 PORTIONS

50 9/2 oz ready-to-eat dried apricots

1/2 ripe papaya, peeled, deseededand chopped
iripejuicy pear. peeled, cored and chopped

Put the apricots into a small saucepan and just coverwith water.Bring tothe boil
and simmer until softened (about 8 minutes).Chop the apricots and mix with
thechopped papaya and pear,orpureefor babies who prefera smoothertexture.

110

NEW C O M P L E T E B A B Y & TODDLER M E A L P L A N N E R

Vegetables

Risotto with Butternut Squash $ o o

M A K E S 4 PORTIONS

NINETOTWELVE MONTHS

Lentils area good,cheap source of protein.They also provide iron which isvery
important for brain development, particularly between theages of six months
and t w o years. Passata is simply sieved tomatoes-you can buy it in bottles in
the supermarket.
Avegetarian baby'sfirst tastes offood is thesame as for other babies
(baby rice,fruit andvegetable purees etc.).But,from around seven months
when proteins are being introduced,instead of meat give foods like lentils,
eggsor dairy products.
It is not as easy t o absorb iron from non-animal sources,so it's a good idea
togivevitamin C-rich fruit orfruitjuices as this helps t o boost iron absorption.
MAKES 6 PORTIONS
itablespoon vegetable oil
50 g (2 02) chopped onion or leek
l o o g (4 02) carrots, peeled and chopped
159 (% oz) celery. chopped
50 g (2 oz) split re) lentils
250 g (8oz) sweet potato, peeled and chopped
200 m1(7floz) passata
50 g (2 02) mature Cheddar cheese,grated

Heat thevegetable oil and sautetheonion,carrots and celeryfor5 minutes.

Rinse the lentils and add tothe pan.Add thesweet potato and sautefor
1 minute. Pour in the passata and 1 tablespoon o f water.Cover and cookfor
about 30 minutes. Removefrom the heat and stir in the cheese until melted.
Puree in a blender.

Multicoloured Casserole K? GIG

Babies lovethe bright colours and miniaturesize ofthesevegetabies. It makes
eatingfun,and is a good lesson in finger control.
MAKES 4

PORTIONS

itablespoon olive oil

r shallot, peeied andjinely chopped

40 gh% oz redpepper, diced
l o o g/4 ozfrozen peas
1oog/4 ozjrozen sweetcorn
120 ml/4 j i o z vegetable stock (seepagej8) or water
Heatthe oil in a saucepan,add theshallot and red pepper and cookfor3 minutes.
Add the peas and sweetcorn,pouroverthevegetablestockand bringtothe boil.
Cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes.

Tasty Brown Rice ;::Q o

Ricedishesare good for introducing moretexture into your baby'sfood.
You could also makethis with white rice.
MAKES 6 PORTIONS

50 g/2 oz brown rice

itablespoon vegetable oil
75g/3 oz carrots, peeied andgrated
75g/3 m tomatoes, skinned, deseededand chopped
40g/1% az Cheddar cheese,grated
Cookthe ricein wateraccordingto the packet instructions until quite soft
(about 3 0 minutes).Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan,add thecarrots and saute
for3 minutes.Add the tomatoesand cookfor 2 more minutes.Drain the rice and
mix with the carrot andtomatoes.Stir in thegrated cheeseand cookovera
gentle heat for1 minute until melted.

N I N E T O T W E L V E MONTHS

113

Vegetables in Cheese Sauce K:

oo

MAKES 6 PORTIONS
l o o g/4 oz cauliflower, broken intoflorets
icarrot, peeled and thinly sliced
50 g/2 ozfrozen peas
l o o g/4 oz courgettes, sliced
CHEESE SAUCE

25gR oz margarine
2 tablespoonsplainflour
250 m1/8floz milk
50 g/2 oz Cheddar cheese,grated
Steam thecauliflower and carrot for 6 minutes,then add the peasand
courgettesand cookforafurtherqminutes. Fora young baby,cookthe
vegetables until they aresoft.
Meanwhile make the cheesesauce in the usual way (see page 67).
Mash,chopor purbethevegetables with the sauce.

Sweet Potato and Spinach Mash oo

MAKES 3-4 PORTIONS
ilarge sweet potato (approx.375g/i3
ilarge potato (approx. 200g/70z)
imedium carrot (approx. 75913 02)
60 9/25 oz spinach leaves, washed
agenerous knob of butter
itablespoon milk
40 9/15 oz Cheddarcheese,grated

OZ)

Peel and chopthesweet potato, potatoand carrot.Put them in a saucepan and

just cover with boiling water.Cook until thevegetabies are tender (around 15
minutes).Alternativelyyou can steam thevegetables. Drain thevegetables,add
thespinach t o the pan and cookfor 2 minutes.Mash thevegetablestogether
with the butter,milkand cheese.

114

NEW COMPLETE BABY &TODDLER M E A L PLANNER

Salmon and Broccoli Pasta

* Q:!

This recipe was sentto me by Kate Hanke,who lives in 0xford.she entered a

competition that I ran togetherwithTumbletots,'Eat Fit, Keep Fit',to devise a
recipethatwould temptfussy eaters.Kate'stip is tostay positive,try not toshow
concern aboutyourchild'seating habits,ordescribeyourchild asa'fussy eater'in
front of him. Ifthey believe they aregood at eating a widevariety of healthy foods.
they may well becomegood anyway. Ifound this recipe was quick,easy and very
tasty. N.B. Unliketinned tuna,tinned salmon does contain essential fatty acids.
MAKES 5 PORTIONS

250g/12 ozanimalpasta shapes

50g/2 oz onion,flnely chopped
igarlic clove, crushed
a little butteroroil
225g/8 oz broccoli, cut into smallflorets
loo g/4 oz wild tinned redsalmon, drained and mashed
142 ml/5 floz carton single cream
50g/2 oz parmesa; cheese,finelygrated
a littlefreshlygrou'nd blackpepper
Cookthe pasta according tothe packet instructions. In a large pansfrythe
onion and garlic in the butter or oil until sofi (about 3-4minutes).Steam
the broccoli until tender(about 6 minutes).Add thecooked pasta t o the
onion.Add the salmon,cream and broccoli and season with a little black
pepper.Add the Parmesan cheeseand mixwell so thatthecheese meits
into the cream. Serve immediately.

Fillets of sole with grapes makes a delicious combination.This recipe is quick

and easyto prepareand onethatthewholefamily can enjoy.
IxEk3:3

5vn9m P&JZflrntf3

8 single solefllets
itablespoonseasonedflour
2 0 g a oz butter
75g/3 oz button mushrooms, thinly sliced
loo ml/j%f ozfsh stock
l o o ml/3%f or double cream
I teaspoon lemonjuice
2 teaspoonsfresh parsley, chopped
20 seedless whitegrapes, halved
salt andpepper from oneyear)
Coat thefish with seasonedflour,melt halfthe butterin a largefrying pan
andfrythefish overa medium heat forabout 2jminuteson each side until
lightly goiden.Transfertoa plateand keep war .
Add the
buttertothe pan and c o ~ t h e ~ u s h r o o m s f ominutes.
r3
Add thestockand simmerforz minutes.Stirin thecream and lemonjuiceand
then simmerforz minutes.Add the parsley and grapes,then season with salt
and pepper (if using)and pour overthefish.

Ss.lmon wit11 a Creamy

Chive Sauce
Salmon iseasy tocook.lt can becookedvery quickly in the microwave but here
i have wrapped it in aiuminiumfoil with somevegetables and herbs and cooked
it more slowly t o bring out the flavour.
MAKES 5 PORTIONS
200 g/8

ozfiiiet of salmon or ismall salmon cutlet

idessertspoon lemonjuice

%small onion, peeled and sliced

%bay leaf
1 small tomato, cut into chunks
isprig offresh parsley
a little butter
CHIVE SAUCE

i5g/% oz butter
r tablespoon plainflour
150 m i / ~ f loz milk
cooking iiquidfroni thefish
idessertspoonfresh chives, snipped
Wrapthesalmon in aluminium foil with the rest of the ingredients and bake
in an oven preheated toi80C13500FICas4for 15 minutes.Meanwhile,make
a white sauce,using the buttersflourand milk in the usual way (see page 67).
Oncethe salmon is cooked,remove it from thefoi1,strain offthe cooking
liquid and add thistothe white sauce. Finally,stirthe chives into the sauce.
Flake the salmon and pourthechive sauceover it.

Salmon Footballs $2 oo
When your child refuses toeat anything from a spoon,these make nutritious
fingerfoods.Omitthe salt and pepperfor babies under oneyear.
MAKES 10 SMALL FOOTBALLS
7 medium potato, skin on (approx. 75og/5 oz)
70 9/23/4 oz salmonfillet
a squeeze of lemonjuice
a knob of butter
2 spring onions, chopped
7 teaspoon sweet chillisauce (optional)
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
%tablespoon mayonnaise
i tablespoon seasonedflour
7 egg, lightly beaten
5og/2 oz breadcrumbs
sunflower oilforfrying
salt andfreshlyground blackpepper from oneyear)

Boil the potato in salted water for 25-30 minutes until tenderwhen pierced
with a table knife.Drain and when cool enough t o handle, peel and mash.
Cookthe salmon in the microwave on High for 2-3 minutes with a squeeze
o f lemon juice and a knob of butter. Flaketheflesh onto a plate and leave t o
cool slightly.Mix the potato with the springonions,chilli sauce (if using),tomato
ketchup,mayonnaise,and salt and pepperto taste. Fold in theflaked salmon,
being careful n o t t o break up thefish too much. 1
Take 1% tablespoons of the mixture and form, into a ball. Repeat until you
have used up all the mixture. Dust each ball in the seasoned flour,dip in the egg
and then roll In the breadcrumbs.
Heat somesunflower oil in a non-stick pan and deep-frythe footballs for
2-3 minutes.You can shallowfry thefootballs in 2 tablespoons of oil but they
won't keeptheir round shape so well.

120

NEW C O M P L E T E B A B Y & T O D D L E R M E A L P L A N N E R

Chicken

Chicken a n d Apple Balls $1: o o

This is a greatfavourite with my famiiy.Grated apple adds a delicious flavour
tothese chicken balls,which makesthem appealingtoyoungchildren,and
they are delicious hot or cold.These little balls make perfect fingerfood.
M A K E S 20 CHICKEN BALLS

teaspoons light alive ail

onion,finely chopped
i large Cranny Smith apple, peeled andgrated
2 large chicken breasts, cut into chunks
5 tablespoonfresh parsley, chopped
i tablespoonfresh thyme orsage, chopped, or a pinch mixeddried herbs
i chicken stock cube, crumbled fiom oneyear)
50g/2 ozfresh white breadcrumbs
salt andfreshlygroundpepper tram oneyear)
plainflourfor coating
vegetable oilforfrying
2

Heat theolive oil in a pan and saute half the onion for about 3 minutes.
Usingyour hands,squeeze out a little excess liquid from the grated apple.
Mix the apple with the chicken,cooked and remaining raw onion, herbs,stock
cube (from one year) and breadcrumbs and roughly chop in a food processor
for a few seconds.Season with a little salt and pepper (from one year).
With your hands,form into about 2 0 iittle balis,roil in flourand fry in shallow
oil for about S minutes until lightly golden and cooked through.

122

NEW COMPLETE BABY &TODDLER MEAL P L A N N E R

p
p
-

Chicken with Winter Vegeta bles :X+o

This is quick and easy t o prepareand has a delicious richchicken flavour.
MAKES 6 PORTIONS
ichicken breast, on the boneandskinned

a littleflour
vegetable oil
ileek, white part only, washedand sliced
ismall onion, peeled andflnely chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
icelerystalk, trimmed and sliced
400 ml/i4fl oz chicken stock (see page 76)
Cut the chicken breast in half, roil each half in fiourand brown in a littleoil for
3-4minutes.lnanotherfrying pan,sautPtheleekandonion in a littleoilfor5
minutes until soft and golden. Put thechicken intoa casseroletogetherwith all
thevegetables andthe stock.Cook in an oven preheatedtoi8o"C/35o0F/Gas4
for1 hour,stirring halfway through.
Takethe chicken offthe boneand chop it into little pieces with the
vegetables or pureeit togetherwith the cooking liquid In a mouii or blender.

Chicken with Couscous $3 oo

MAKES 4 PORTIONS
15g/% oz butter
25g/ioz chopped onion
z5g/i ozfrozen peas (cooked)
175 m1/6fl oz chicken stock (seepage 76)
65g/2% oz quick-cooking couscous
gog/z oz diced cooked chicken
Melt the butter in a saucepan and saute the onion until softened but not
coloured.Stirin the peas, pour overthestock, bringtothe boil and cookfor
3 minutes.Stir in thecouscous,removefrom the heat,coverand set aside
for 6 minutes.Fiuffthe couscous with aforkand mix in the diced chicken.

Red meats

Beef Casserole w i t h Carrots :4:

oo

M A K E S 10 PORTIONS

l
l

NINE TOTWELVE MONTHS

Tasty [Liver Casseioie

Liver isverygood for childremit is easy t o digest,a good source o f iron and
isveryeasy t o cook.1 must admit that I dislike the taste having beenforced
t o eat liver at school, but,to my great surprise,my one-year-old son adored
it.This recipe is good served with mashed potato.
MAKES 4 PORTIONS
roo g/4 oz calf's liver, trimmed and sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
r smallonion, peeled andchopped
Ilarge or2 medium carrots (approx. r259/4% oz), peeled and chopped
2 0 0 ml/7fl oz chicken or vegetablestock (seepages 76 and38)
2 medium tomatoes (approx. zoo g/7oz), skinned, deseededandchopped
Idessertspoonfresh parsley, chopped
Saute the liver in 1 tablespoon oftheoil until browned,then set aside.Heat
the remainingoil in a saucepan and saute the onion for 2-3 minutes.Add
the chopped carrot and sautefor 2 minutes,then pour overthe stock, bring
tothe boil,coverand simmerovera low heatforaboutis minutes.Chopthe
liver into pieces and add t o the pan togetherwith the tomatoes and parsley,
and cookfor about 3 minutes.You can either serve with mashed potatoas
it isor blend the mixturefor a few seconds t o make a rough puree.

Savoury Veal Casserole

Adelicious casseroleofveal,vegetables and frlsh herbs-just increasethe

quantitiesfor a meal the whole family can enjoy.
MAKES 3 PORTIONS
Ismallonion,peeledandfinely chopped
r carrot, scraped and sliced
%celery stalk,sliced
vegetable oil
l o o g/4 oz lean vealforstewing

I sprig offresh rosemary

isprig offresh

120 ml/4fl

parsley
oz water

Frvtheonion.carrot and celery in a little oil for3 minutes.Cut theveal into

chunksand put it intoa saucepan with thevegetables, herbs and the water.
Simmerslowly,coveredfor~ hour(stirringonce). Remove the herbsand
roughly chop theveal andvegetables in afood processor.

Special S'rza k
This recipe makes avery good introduction t o red meat for your baby.
MAKES 4 PORTIONS

ipotato (about 2259/8 oz),peeled andchopped

chopped
itablespoon vegetableoil
ioog/' ozfillet steak
50g/2 oz button mushrooms, washedand chopped
i5g/% oz buffer
I tomato, skinned, deseeded and chopped
2 tablespoons milk
I shallot or 25g/1 oz onion,peeledandfinely

Boil the potato until tender,then drain.Meanwhile,sautethe shallot in

thevegetableoil until softened.Spoon half theshallots on t o a piece of
aluminiumfoil.Cut the steakintoslices1 cm/l/~inchthickand place on top
oftheshallots.Spread the remaining shallots overthe steak.Cook under
a preheated grill for 3 minutes each sideor until cooked.Saut6 the button
mushrooms in half of the butter for 2 minutes,add thechopped tomato
and continue t o cookfor i minute.Mash the potato with the milkand the
remaining butter until smooth.Chopor puree the steaktogetherwith
the shallots, mushrooms and tomatoand mix with the mashed potato.

M i n i Cottage Pie :;:o o

Cottage pie was always popular as'comfort food'on a winter's evening when
Iwas a child.To make it suitable for babies Ihave chopped the meat in a food
processorto make it softer.For babies overone you can season with a little
salt and pepper.Try making individual portions in ramekin dishes.You can pop
the extra portions in the freezer for days when you don't have time t o cook.
MAKES 3 PORTIONS

l o o g/4 oz carrot, peeled and chopped

225 g/8 oz potatoes, peeled and chopped
itablespoon olive oil
ismall onion, peeled and chopped
25g/i oz redpeppercored, deseededand diced
ismallgarllc clove, peeled and crushed
1759/6 oz lean minced beef
itablespoonfreshlychoppedparsley
2 teaspoons tomatopurie
loo m1/3%f/oz chicken stock (seepage 76)
isgfl/Z oz butter
itablespoon milk
iegg, beaten

Put thecarrot into a saucepan,cover with boiling water and cookfor

5 minutes.Add the potatoes and cookfor afurtherig minutes.
Meanwhile, heattheoil in afrying pan and sautethe onion and red
pepperfor 3 t o q minutes. Add the garlic and s?utefori minute.Add the
minced beef and saute until browned.Atthis stage it is a good idea tochop
the meat in afood processorfor afewseconds togive it a smoothertexture.
Return tothe pan,add the parsley,tomato pureeand chicken stock, bringto
the boilthen cover and simmerforabout 5 minutes.When the potato and
carrot arecooked,drain and mash with the butterand milk.
Spoon the meat into3 ramekinsabout i o cm14 inches in diameter.Top
with themashed potatoandcarrot. Brush with a little beatenegg, then heat
through in an oven preheated toi80"C13so"FIGas4,then place under a
preheated grill until lightly golden.

130

NEW COMPLETE B A B Y & T O D D L E R M E A L PLANNER

Tasty Rice w i t h M e a t
a n d Vegeta bles 24 o o
MAKES 8 PORTIONS

%onion, peeled andfinely chopped

65g/2% ozcarrot,finely chopped
r tablespoon vegetable oil
r smollgarlic clove, crushed
225g/8 oz lean minced beef
4oog/r4 oz canned chopped tomatoes
ofew drops of Worcestershiresauce
RICE

50g/2 oz basmatirice
300 ml/ro flozchicken stock (seepage 76)
%small redpepper, deseededandfinely chopped
g o g h ozfrozen peas
Rinse the rice and place in a saucepan with the chicken stock. Bring tothe boil,
then cover and simmerforio minutes.Add the red pepper and cook,uncovered,
for 5 minutes.Add the peas and continue t o cook for 2 minutes,or until the rice
is tender and there is no liquid left.
Meanwhile saute theonion and carrot in thevegetableoil for5 minutes.
Add thegarlicand sautefor1 minute.Add the minced meat and cook,stirring,
until browned.Transferthe meat intoa food processor and chop for 30 seconds
t o make it easier!oryour baby t o chew. Return the meattothe pan and add the
tomatoes and Wo!cestershire sauce.Cook overa low heatforio rninutes.Stir
in the rice withvegetables and cookfor 3-4 minutes.

Pasta Shell C o n f e t t i

MAKES 2-3 PORTIONS

x:

Bolognese Sauce w i t h Aubergine $3 o o

M A K E S 12 PORTIONS OF SAUCE
1medium onion,peeledandchopped

%garlic clove, peeled and chopped

vegetable oilforfrying
45og/i Ib lean minced beef or lamb
2 tablespoons tomatopurie
4 tomatoes, skinned, deseededand chopped
'/4 teaspoon mixeddriedherbs
2 tablespoon~plainflour
450 m1/16 floz chicken stock (seepage 76)
iaubergine,peeled andsliced
l o o g/4 oz mushrooms, washed andsliced
Saute the onion and garlic in oil until soft.Add the meat and cook until browned.
Chop in a food processor. Return tothe pan,add the tomato puree,tomatoes,
herbs,flourand stock. Bringto the boil and simmerfor45 rninutes.Frythe
aubergine in oil until golden. Pat dry with kitchen paper.Chop in afood processor.
Sautethe mushrooms in oil and add tothe sauce with the aubergine.

Pasta Shells with Chicken

and Broccoli +Ex:o o
MAKES 2 PORTIONS

40g/i% oz broccoliflorets
15 g f h oz butter
1 5 g f h ozflour
150 ml/5J ozmilk
30gh'/4 oz Gruyere cheese,grated
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese,grated
3 tablespoons mascarponecheese
40 g/i% ozpasta shells
30gh'/4 oz cookedchicken, diced
Steam the broccolifor4-5 minutesor until tender.Melt the butter,stir in
the flour and cookforl rninute.Craduaily add the milk,then continueto stir
for 5 minutes over a low heat until thesaucethickens.Takeoff the heat,stir
in theGruyl.re and Parmesan until melted,then stir in the rnascarpone.
Meanwhile,cookthe pasta accordingto the packet instructions.Drain and
toss with the broccoli,chicken and cheese sauce.

NINE TOTWELVE MONTHS

137

Pasta Stars w i t h Veggie Sauce % o o

This fresh tomato sauce isvery tasty and, because it hasvegetables and
cheese blended into it,it is more nutritiousthan an ordinarytomato sauce
M A K E S 2 PORTIONS
Imedium carrot,

peeled andsliced
1oog/4 ozcauliflowerflorets
3 tablespoonspasta stars orother tiny pastashapes
25g/1 oz butter
3oog/v az ripe tomatoes,skinned, deseededandchopped
50 g/2 oz grated Cheddar cheese
Put the sliced carrot intothe bottom of a steamer.Cover with boiling water
and cookovera medium heatforio rninutes.Put the cauliflowerflorets in the
steamer basket,place overthecarrots,coverand cookfors minutes or until
thevegetables are tender.Cook the pasta stars in boiling water accordingto
the packet instructions.Meanwhile, melt the butter and saute the tomatoes
forabout 3 minutesor until mushy.Stir in the Cheddar cheese until melted.
Blend thecooked carrotsand cauliflowertogetherwith the tomatoes and
cheese.Mix with the pasta stars.

138

NEW COMPLETE BABY &TODDLER MEAL PLANNER

Nine t o twelve month meal planner

Breakfast

Mid-morning

Lunch

Mid-afternoon

Dinner

Bedtime

Day i

Fruity Swiss
Muesli
Dried Apricots
with Papaya
and Pear served
with yoghurt
Miik

Milk

Chickenand
Apple Bails
Finger
vegetables
Strawberry
Rice Pudding
Water

Milk

Finger
sandwiches
Finger
vegetables
Juiceor water

Milk

Day 2

Weetabix
Cheese
on toast
Fruit
Miik

Milk

Special Steak
Fresh fruit and
yoghurt dip
Water

Milk

Pasta Stars
withveggie
Sauce
Fromage
fraislyoghurt
Juiceorwater

Milk

Scrambled egg
with toast
Fruit with
cottagecheese
Miik

Milk

Salmon
Footballs
Fresh Fruit Ice
Lollies
Water

Milk

Tasty Brown
Rice
Fruit
Juiceorwater

Milk

My Favourite
Pancakes
Fruit
Miik

Milk

Mini Cottage
Pie
Fruit
Water

Milk

Vegetablesin
Cheese Sauce
Apple and
Blackberry
Juiceorwater

Milk

l
d

140

NEW COMPLETE BABV&TODDLER MEAL PLANNER

Breakfast

Mid-morning

Lunch

Mid-afternoon

Dinner

Bedtime

Day 5

FrenchToast
cut-out5
Apricot, Apple
and Pear
Custard
Milk

Milk

Bang Bang
Chilken
Tasty Brown
Rice
Fresh fruit with
yoghurt dip
Water

Milk

Risottoand
Butternut
Squash
Fruit
Juice orwater

Milk

Day 6

Summer Fruit
Muesli
Yoghurt with
driedfruit
Milk

Milk

Pasta Shells
with Hidden
Vegetable
Bolognere
Appleand
Blackberly
Water

Milk

Fingers of Sole
Finger
vegetables
Fresh Fruit Ice
Lollies
Juiceorwater

Milk

Day 7

Cheese
Scramble
Toast Fingers
Yoghurt
Miik

Milk

Chickenwith
Couscous
Freshfruit with
yoghurt dip
Water

Milk

Lentil and
Vegetable
Puree
Sticksof cheese
Baked Apples
with Raisins
Juice or water

Milk

N I N E TO TWELVE MONTHS

141

C H A P T E R FIVE

Toddlers

I find that, beyond the ageof one,toddlers prefer

toexercisetheir independence and feed themselves.
The more yourtoddler experiments usinga spoon
andfork,the quicker he will masterthe art o f
feeding himself-you never know,some food might
find itsway into his mouth! A'pelican'bib-a strong
plastic bib which has a tray at the bottom t o catch
stray food-is alsogood. Ifyourtoddler has difficulty
eatingwith a spoon,try giving him fingerfoods like
goujons of fish or raw vegetables with a dip.You
must still be careful,though,to keepfood like olives,
nuts orfresh lychees out ofthe reach of young
children.Toddlers loveto put everything intheir
mouthsand itwould besoeasyforthemtochoke
on such foods.

Enjoying mealtimes together

Toddlers only have small tummies and often can't
eat enough at mealtimes t o fuel their high energy
requirements,~~
they should beoffered three meals
and snacks at regulartimes. It's a good idea t o have
ashelf in yourfridge with some healthy snacks like
!
raw vegetables and a dip e.g. hummus,sticks o f
!
cheese and a variety offresh fruit. For more ideasfor
healthy snacks,takea lookat my bookAfter-School
Meal Planner.Toddlers whoget used toeating
healthy snacksaremore likelytocontinuethesame
habits lateron in life.However,it would also be
wrongto make sweets and chocolate biscuits the
forbiddenfruit,asyourtoddler would crave them
all the more and gorge himself on them whenever
he could.
144

NEW C O M P L E T E BABY & T O D D L E R M E A L P L A N N E R

Manytoddlers enjoy eating much more sophisticated

food than we would imagine.My daughter at two
loved olives,for example. Ethnic recipes like stir fries
with noodles or egg-fried rice with chicken tend t o
be popular and you can buy child-friendly chopsticks
that arejoined at the top and make eatingfun.
Dumpthe chicken dinosaurs covered in breadcrumbs
and marinate chickento make recipes like myThaistyle Chicken and Noodles or Chicken Satay (see
pages 170 and 172). Even ifyou don't feel like making
your own marinade,there are lotsof delicious
marinade5 in the supermarket thatwill spice up
your child'sfood. Let your child try food from your
plate and you may bevery surprised by the tastes
he enjoys. Ofcourse,foodfrom Mummy's orDaddyfs
plate is much more interestingthan hisown meal
and you can sometimesentice yourchild toeat ifyou
put his meal on your plate. But the point atthisstage
is that the toddlercan now eat,toa large extent,
what you adults are eating. l am a great believer in
giving toddlers'grown-up'foodsas soon as possible
and almost all the recipes that follow are suitable for
the wholefamily.Doeat with your child ratherthan
just sittingthere shovellingfood into his mouth.
He'll eat much more happily with you-after all,
who enjoys eatingalone?
Try and reform yourown eating habits by adding
lesssalt and sugartoyourfood and get your child
t o help plan,shopforand cooka meal.Obviously
you can't dothis everyday but ifyou doit every
sooften,it's a good way o f introducing new meals
toyour child.

My Child Won't Eat!

Anyone with afussy child will knowthat it's easy
t o lose heart when your child turns his nose up at
anythingwith visibleonionsortomatosauce with
green bits in it.1thinkthe key t o success is n o t t o
get into a tizz ifyour child doesn't eat-just say'fine',
but don't offer anything else until the next meal.
Refusingfood loses its appeal if you don't react and
it'samazing how much lessfussyyour child will
become if he is really hungry. I would ignore any
negative behaviourand pile on the praise when your
child does try something-even ifthetiniest morsel
passes his lips,gooverboard with praise.Astarchart
might bea good idea,whereyour child gets a star
for any new food or recipe that he tries.When he
collects a certain numberof stars he gets a reward.
Rest assured that ifyou have a fussy toddleryou
are not alone.Toddlers can thrivevery well on
remarkably littlefood.They arealso unpredictableonedaythey can likesomething and the next day
they refuse t o eat it.Somedaysthey will be ravenous
and otherdaysthey will eat practically nothing.
Ifyou monitoryourchild'sfood intakeover a whole
week,you won't worry as much if oneday he refuses
t o eat anything.
Often it's snacks between meals that spoil
yourchild's appetite.Try t o resist buyingchocolate
biscuits and crisps and instead offer healthy
alternatives like mini-sandwiches,driedfruit oreven
a bowl o f healthy cereal.
Check yourchild isn'tfilling up on drinks.What
hedrinkscan havea huge effect on hisappetite.Cive

juiceor smoothies that areioo per centjuice instead

o f fruitjuice drinks,which often contain less than
10 percentjuiceandcan contain artificial sweeteners,
flavourings and colourlngs,as well as added sugarsome with more than sixteaspoonsof sugar in a
glass.Tap water isthe best waytoquench your
thirst,and it's safe,cheap and calorie-free.
Agift wrapped in bright paper with a beautiful
ribbon inspires more enthusiasm than onegiven in
a brown cardboard box,and thesamegoesforfood
thatweserveour kids.Youcan transform a plainJane peanut butter sandwich into an irresistible kids'
treat when it's cut into a heart or a teddy bear shape.
Instead of whole fruit in a fruit bowl,thread bitesized pieces offruit ontoa skewer or straw,or puree
fruit and freeze it in icelolly moulds.
Don't puttoo much food on a plate-much better
thatyourchlld should askfor more.Toddlers love
individual portionsoffood and it's good t o make
mini portions of larger pies.
Getting children t o t r y something new is not easy
-of my threechildren t w o were quitef;ssy so I've
tried all thetricks myself.lnvitinga child overfortea
who is a good eater is an excellent ruse.At all costs
avoid confrontation-it's much betterto turn'weird'
food intoa game by blindfoldingyour child and then
asking him t o try a selection o f foods,somefamiliar
and some new,and then guess what they are ...
Ifyou enjoy the recipes in thischapter lookout
for my sequel tothis book,FavouriteFamilyRecipes.
TODDLERS

145

The Foods t o Choose

Children under five need more dietary fatthan adults
in proportion totheir body weight so unlessyour
child is overweight,don't give him foodsthat are
low-fat.Fats like cheese or full fat yoghurt are a rich
source of energy which yourtoddler needs tofuel his
growth.There are,of course,exceptions t o the rule,
and an overweighttoddler should have his fat intake
restricted by cuttingdown on processed and fatty
foodsand switching t o low-fat dairy products.
High-fibre foods in large amounts arealso
unsuitableasthey are bulky and filling and do not
supply enough caloriesfor a rapidly growing toddler.
Aiso,a high-fibrediet can hindertheabsorption
of vital minerals like iron. Provided yourchild eats
plenty offruit andvegetables he will get all the
fibre he needs.
Once your child is twelve months old you can
switch from formula t o wholecow's milk, but don't

give semi-skimmed milk before theage of twoas

it is low in calories,which your child needs t o grow.
Skimmed milkshould not beintroduced beforefive
years.Children overoneyear need 400 mIl14fl oz
ofwhole milka day.Forchildren whoarevery picky,
there may beadvantages tocontinuing with a
follow-on formula (which is fortified with vitamins
and iron) until twoyears of age.
Although moreand more people seem t o be
turning away from red meat in favour of fish and
chicken, bear in mind that red meat provides more
iron and zincthaneitherfishor poultry.Try making
tasty meals with lean minced meat-a good tip is
tocookthe meat and then chop it in a food processor
so that it is not lumpy,and there are some lovely
recipesfor Beefburgers,Meatballs and Mini Minute
steaks (see pagesi78-81) that make excellentfamily
meals.Try t o avoid processed meats like sausages,
salami and corned beef.

Iron deficiency and anaemia can cause difficult

behaviour and poor concentration in toddlers.
Ifyou are bringingyourchild upon a vegetarian
diet or if he simply dislikeseating meat,make sure
that you include nutrient-dense foods like cheese
and eggs in hisdiet.Avoid givingtoo many highfibre foods like wholegrain cereals and pulsesas
tummiesfill up quickly and your child may not get
enough energy and protein t o grow. Providedyour
toddler is eatinga good variety offood types,a
vegetarian diet can provide all the nutrients he
needs. It isvery importantto includevegetarian
sourcesof iron such asgreen vegetables,pulses,
fortified breakfast cerealsand driedfruit every day,
and make sure you givefoods or drinkscontaining
Vitamin C at the same meal asthis helps t o boost
the iron absorption from non-meat sources.

Pasta remains a great favourite with toddlers and

you can combineitwith other healthy foodssuch as
vegetablesand tuna. Individual pieces of pasta like
penneorfusilli tend t o be easiest fortoddlers t o eat
(Although, when my son,Nicholas,was 20 months
old he invented hisown method of eatingspaghetti
-he held it out in front of him by the twoends and
sucked in from the middle! Not the height of good
manners perhaps, but certainly very efficient.)

Junk food substitutes

Three quarters ofthe salt and saturatedfat that
children consume comes from processedfoods and
ready meals.Most children eat twice as much salt
as they should.lt's much betterto make your own
hea1thy'junkfood'-try my delicious recipesfor
Annabel'sTasty Beefburgers or Home-made Fast
Food Pizza (see pages178 and 158).

Here are some substitutesfor'junl(food':

Sugar-coated breakfast cereals
Chicken nuggets
Fish fingers
Spaghetti Hoops
Sausages
Crisps
Juicedrinks

Porridge,Weetabixor muesli
Chicken on the Griddle (pagei74) or Bar-B-QChicken (page 171)
Fish Pie (page 164) or Salmon Fishcakes (page 160)
Pasta with Hidden-VegetableTomato Sauce (page 156)
Cocktail Meatballs (page 180) or Mini Minute Steaks (page 181)
Popcorn
Pure fruitjuice

Fruit and Desserts

There are many recipes in this chapterfor delicious
hot and cold dessertsthat areeasyto prepareand
can beenjoyed bythe whoiefamily.However,there
is still nothing moredelicious or betterforyou than
fresh ripefruit,so makesureyourchild has plenty
of it everyday. None o f the vitamins or nutrients
are destroyed through cooking,andfruit makes
great finger food for yourtoddler.
Fruits are packed with powerful antioxidants
and naturai compounds called phytochemicals,
which help boost immunity and protectthe dady
I
from heart diseaseand cancer.The incidence,of
cancer is increasing. Approximately one third o f
cancercases are related t o what we eat and
researchers estimatethat a diet filled with fruit
and vegetables instead of fats and processedfoods,
alongwith exercise, could reducethe incidence
o f cancer by at least 30 per cent.
Wholefruit in afruit bowl isn'tthat appealing
t o a hungry child, but if you have a selection of fresh

fruit cut up and placedon a low shelf in thefridge,

or bite-sized fruit on a skewer,this will help stop your
child from snacking on crisps or chocolate biscuits.
Driedfruits,especially apricots,arevery nutritious
asthe drying process concentratesthe nutrients.
However,takecare not togive driedfruit toooften
in between meals, as they stick t o the teeth and
even naturai sugars cause tooth decay.
Kiwi fruit and citrus and berryfruits are rich in
Vitamin C,which helpsto boost iron absorption,
so try t o make sure you include these in your child's
diet.You can add fresh or driedfruitsto breakfast
cereals. it's also worth buying ajuicersoyou can
make your own fresh-fruit smoothies.Purefruitjuice
and smoothies are alsogood, but be waryof fruit
juice drinks as they often contain as littleas 10 per
centjuice so always read the label.Juices are a great
source of vitamins but rememberthat only by eating
the wholefruitwill yourchild be gettingfibre.
As different fruits provide different nutrients,
include as muchvariety as possible in your child's

ne kiwi fruit contains rnorethan the daily adult

Stuffed potatoes make an excellent meal fortoddlers and thereareendless

variationson thefillingsyou can make. Prick medium potatoes all over and brush
with oil. Bake in an oven preheated toigo'C137~'F/Cas sfor 11/4-1% hours or until
tender.Alternatively,to speed up thecooking,prick the potatoes,wrapthem
in absorbent kitchen paper and put them in the microwaveon high for7-8
minutes. Brush the potatoes with oil and then transferto the oven and cook
for about 45-50 minutes or until tender.
Carefully spoon thesoft flesh out ofthe skins, leaving enough round thesides
forthe skins t o keep their shape.You are now ready t o make thevariousfillings.

Vege'ra ble and Cheese

Potato Filling
MAKES 4 A D U L T PORTIONS

q g / r ozeach broccoliandcauliflower, broken into smallflorets

4 medium or2 large bakedpotatoes
1 5 g f h oz butter
120 ml/4fl oz milk
50 g/2 oz Cheddar cheese, grated
2 medium tomatoes, skinned andcut into smallpieces
%teaspoon salt
Cheddar cheese,grated, tofinish
Steam the broccoli and cauliflower florets until they are tender (about 6 minutes),
then chopfinely.Meanwhile, mash the potatoflesh with the butter and milk
until smooth and creamy.Mix in the cheese,tomatoes,cooked chopped
vegetables and salt,and scoop the mixture back into the potatoskins.Sprinkle
a littleextra grated cheese on top and brown under a preheated grill.

Tuna and S \ ~ e e t c o r i i
Stuffed Pota-to
Ifyou don't have time tooven-bake the potatoesyou can bake them
in a microwave,although they won't have crispy skins.
MAKES 2 ADULT PORTIONS
2 medium bakedpotatoes

2 0 0 g/7

oz canned tuna i n oil, drained

75g/3 oz canned orcookedfrozen sweetcorn
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons milk
2 spring onions,finely sliced (optional)
75g/3 ozgrated Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper 1
7 tablespoon olive oil
Cut the baked potatoes in half and scoop out theflesh,leavingenough round
the sidesforthe skins t o keep their shape.Mixthe potato with theflaked tuna,
sweetcorn,mayonnaise, milk,springonion (if using) and 50 g12 ozof the grated
cheese,and season with a little salt and pepper.Spoon the filling back intothe
potato skins,top with the remainingcheese,place on a bakingtray and drizzle
overthe oliveoil.Cookforio minutes in an oven preheated to180'C1350DFI
Gas4 until golden on top.

152

NEW COMPLETE BABY & T O D D L E R M E A L PLANNER

Nutsand tofu are great for vegetarians as they contain many ofthe nutrients
usually found in animal sources.Tofu and cashew nuts are both excellent sources
of protein and iron.
MAKES 10 RISSOLES

15og/5 ozgrated carrot

imedium courgette (approx. 125g/4% OZ), topped, tailed andgrated
65912% oz leek,finely chopped
Igarlic clove, crushed
zoo g/7 oz choppedbutton mushrooms
25g/1 m butter
200 g/7 ozfirm tofu, chopped into pieces
loog/4 oz unsalted cashew nuts,finely chopped
loog/4 ozfresh white breadcrumbs (madefrom sliced bread)
Itablespoon soy sauce
Itablespoon runny honey
salt and pepper
flourfor coating
vegetable oilforfwng
Prepare thevegetables and, usingyour hands,squeezeout any excess liquid
from thegrated carrot and courgette.Melt the butter in a frying pan and saute
the leek,garlic,carrot and courgettefor 2 minutes.Add the mushrooms and cook,
stirringoccasionally,for 2-3 minutes.
Add the tofu,cashew nuts, breadcrumbs,soy sauce, honey and seasoning,
mix well and form into10 rissoles.Coat in flour and saute in the oil for about
2 minutes on each side,until golden.

TODDLERS

153

Couscous isverytasty and you can make this in less than 10 minutes.
M A K E S 1 PORTION

45g/1% m c o ~ ~ c o ~ s
125 ml/4 floz hot vegetable stock
20 g h oz redpepper, diced
5 medium carrot, peeled and diced
2 spring onions, sliced
itablespoon raisins
1% tablespoonspine nuts, toasted
DRESSING
itablespoon oliveoil
1% teaspoons lemonjuice

%teaspoon honey
salt andpepper
Put the couscous in a bowl. Pour overthe hot vegetable stockand leave t o
stand for about 5 minutes.
Fluff up thecouscous with afork.Stir in thediced vegetables, raisins and
pine nuts.
Whisktogetherthe ingredientsfor the dressing and stir into the couscous.
Season t o taste.

This isgood served cold and cut into wedges the next day.1 give suggestions
on the rightfor additions t o the basicomelette.
MAKES 4 A D U L T PORTIONS

3 tablespoons olive oil

1759/6 ozpotatoes,peeledandcut into icm/% inch cubes
ionion, peeled andfinely chopped
% small redpepper, deseededand chopped
50 g/2 azfrozen peas

4 eggs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese,grated
salt andpepper
SUGGESTED VARIATIONS
2

tablespoons Gruyere instead of Parmesan cheese

ilarge chopped tomato

or
50g/2 oz mushrooms, sliced
i tablespoonfresh chives,snipped
or
ioog/4 oz cooked ham or bacon, cubed
50g/2 ozsweetcorn insteadofpeas
Heat the oil in a non-stick18 cm17 inch frying pan. Fry the potato and onion for
5 minutes,then add the pepper and continue to cook for 5 minutes.Add the peas
and cook for a further 5 minutes. Beat theeggs togetherwith 1 tablespoon water
and the Parmesan,and season with salt and pepper. Pourthis mixtureoverthe
vegetables and cookfor 5 minutes or until theomelette isalmost set.Tofinish,
brown the top under a preheated grill for about 3 minutes or until golden.
(You can wrap the handle ofthefrying pan with silver foil t o prevent it burning
if necessary.) Cut into wedges and serve with salad.

TODDLERS

155

Anna bel's Hidden-Vegeta ble

Tomato Sauce
This is the perfect recipefor children who won't eat their vegetables,as all
thevegetablesare blended into the tomato sauce sothey can't be identified
or picked out.This tasty sauce can be used as a toppingfor pizzasor as a sauce
for chicken and rice.
M A K E S 4 ADULT PORTIONS
2 tablespoonslight olive oil

igarlic clove,

crushed

imedium onion,peeledandfinely

chopped
ioog/4 oz carrots,peeledandgrated
50 g/2 oz courgette, grated
5og/2 oz button mushrooms,sliced
iteaspoon balsamic vinegar
400 9/74 oz passota (ready-sievedtomatoes)
iteaspoon soft brown sugar
7 vegetablestock cube dissolvedin 400 ml/%pint boiling water
a handful fresh basilleaves, torn
salt andfreshlyground blackpepper
Heattheoil in a saucepan,add the crushed garlicand sautefora few seconds,
then add the onion and saute fora further2 minutes.Add the carrots, courgette
and mushrooms and saute for 4 minutes,stirring occasionally.Add the balsamic
vinegar and cookfor i minute.Stir in the passaTa and sugar,cover and simmer for
8 minutes.Add thevegetablestock and cookfor 2 minutes,stirringcontinuously.
Add the basil and season t o taste.Transfer t o a blender and blitz until smooth.

156

NEW COMPLETE BABY & T O D D L E R M E A L PLANNER

H o m e - m a d e Fast F o o d Pizza

oo

Thesedelicious easy-to-make pizzas are always popular.Ifyou preferyou can

use crumpets, halved small baguettes or split pitta breadsgrilled for a minute
ortwoasthe baseofthe pizzas.
MAKES 2 I N D I V I D U A L PIZZAS
i

Englishmufln, split in half

Itablespoongood-quality tomato sauce

7 teaspoon redpesto

tablespoon olive oil

%small red onion, peeled and chopped
2 button mushrooms,sliced
smallc courgette (approx.5og/z oz), thinlysliced
Islice ham orsalami, cut into pieces (optional)
509/2 ozgrated Cheddar or mozzarella cheese
salt andfreshlyground black pepper
i

Toast the muffin until golden and leave tocool.Preheat the grill to high.Mixthe
passata ortomato sauce and pestoand spread overthe muffins. Heat the olive
oil in afryingpanand cooktheonionforzmjnutes,then addthemushrooms
and courgette and cook until softened and golden.~easontotaste.
Divide the vegetable mixture between the muffin bases and spread over
evenly.Sprinkle overthe ham or salami (if using) and topwith thecheese.
Place underthe preheated grill and cookfor about 4 minutes or until golden
and bubbling.

Salmon isa good source of omega-3fatty acids,which are Importantfor brain

and visual development. Doctors recommend including a t leasttwooil-rich
fish dishes a week to keep the heart in good shape.Thesefishcakestaste good
hot or cold.
MAKES 8 FISHCAKES
joog/77 ozpotatoes, peeledand cut into chunks
15g/% 02 butter
400 9/14 oz cannedredsalmon,drained
!h small onion, peeledandfinely chopped
2 spring onions,finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
salt and pepper
flourfor coating
r egg, lightlybeaten
75g/3 ozmatzo mealor breadcrumbs
oilforfrylng
Boil the potatoes in a saucepan of lightly salted water. Drain and mash with
the butter. Flake the salmon and carefully remove any bones.Mixwith the
mashed potato,onion,spring onions,tomato ketchup and seasoning. Form
into about Sfishcakes,coat inflour,dip in the egg and then coat in matzo
meal or breadcrumbs. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the fishcakes
on both sides until golden.

Giraindlma'bTa&y Fiislh Pie .:This is oneof my mother's recipesand isa greatfavouritewith all thefamily.
Thereis neverany leftthe next day.
W
I K@S b tW9&TRBZN@YXX
45og/i lb cod or haddockfillets, skinned
iegg,

lightly beaten
ioog/4 ozfine breadcrumbs
Ionion,

peeledandfinely chopped
tablespoonsolive oil
75g/3 ozgreen pepper, cored, deseededandchopped
150 g/5 oz redpepper, cored, deseededondchopped
40og/14 oz canned tomatoes
tablespoons tomato puree
teaspoon soft brown sugar
1%

itablespoon plainflour

250 m1/8fl oz milk

75g/3 oz Cheddarcheese,grated
40 9/15 oz Parmesan cheese,grated
Preheattheoven do i8o"C13~o'F/Gas4.Cutthefishfiilets intoabout 12 pieces,
dip in seasonedfl ur,then intothe lightly beaten egg,andfinally coat in
breadcrumbs.Sau C in thevegetableoil until goldenon both sides. Drain on
kitchen paper.
Saute the onion in the olive oil for3-4 minutes. Add the peppers and cook for
5 minutes. Drain half of the juice from the tomatoes-then add the tomatoes and
the remainingjuicetothe peppers with thetomato puree and sugar.Season

totaste and cookfor about 5 minutes.Mixthecooked fish with the tomato sauce
andtransfertoan ovenproof dish.
Make a cheese sauce with the butter,flour and milk,stirringover a low heat
until smooth and thick (see page 67). Removefrom the heat and stir in two-thirds
ofthecheddar and Parmesan.
Pourthecheese sauce overthe fish fillets.Sprinklewith the remaininggrated
cheeseand bake in the preheated oven for about zo minutes.Brown undera
hot grill.

Fish in Creamy Mushroom Sauce $2 oo

For older children,cook225g/8 ozfresh spinach, lay each wholefillet on a bed
of spinach and pour overthe sauce.
MAKES 4ADULT PORTIONS
ismall onion, peeled andfinely chopped
40 g/i% oz butter
225g/8oz button mushrooms, washedandfinely chopped
2 tablespoons lemonjuice
2 tablespoonsfresb parsley, chopped
2 tablespoonsplainflour
300 ml/iop oz milk
isole orplaice,filleted

Frythe onion in halfthe butter until transparent.Add the mushrooms, lemon

juiceand parsley and cookfor2 minutes.Add theflour and cookfora minutes,
stirringcontinuously.Add the milkgradually and cook,stirringcontinuously,
until the sauce isthick and smooth.
Fry the sole fillets in the rest ofthe butterforz-3 minuteson each side.
Cut orflake the fish into small piecesand mixwith the mushroom sauce.
Alternatively,coverthe uncooked fish with the mushroom sauceand bake
in the oven preheated toi8o"C/35o0WGas4forabout 15 minutes or until
thefishjustflakes.

Mummy's Favourite Fish Pie :x:

oo

Ifyou want your child t o grow up likingfish then you should try this delicious
fish pie. It's good t o freeze individual portions in ramekin dishesfor days when
you don't wantto cook.
MAKES4MlNl FISH PIES
500 g/i Ib 2 ozpotatoes, peeled and diced
4 tablespoons milk
75 g/3 oz butter
1 small onion,finely chopped
2 tomatoes, skinned, deseededand chopped
1% tablespoonsflour
200 ml/7fl oz milk
225g/8oz codfillets, skinnedandcut intofairlylarge cubes
225g/8ozsalmonfillets,skinnedandcut intofairlylarge cubes
itablespoon choppedparsley
ibay leaf
50g/2 ozgrated Cheddar cheese
iegg, lightly beaten
a little salt andfreshly ground black pepper For children over one)
Cook the potatoes in a pan of lightly salted water until tender (about 15 minutes),
then drainand mash togetherwiththe4tablespoonsof milkand halfofthe
butter and season totaste.
Melt the remaining butter in a heavy-based saucepan and saute the onion
for3 minutes.Add thechopped tomatoesandsauteforz-3 minutes.Stir in the
flourand cookfori minute.Add the milk, brin,gtothe boil andcookfori minute.
Stir in the cod,salmon, parsley and bay leaf and simmerfor 3-4minutes.
Remove the bay leaf,stir in the grated Cheddar until melted and season t o taste.
Preheattheoven toi8o"C135o"FICas4. Divide the fish between 4 ramekin
dishes (about 8-iocmI4 inches in diameter) and top with the mashed potato.
Brush the potato with lightly beaten egg and bake in theoven for 15-20 minutes.
You can brown them under a preheated grill for a few minutes at theend if
you wish.

164

N E W C O M P L E T E BABY &TODDLER M E A L P L A N N E R

Kids' Kedgeree :z o o
This really scrummy kedgeree makes a great family meal that is popularwith
kids.It'sthe kind of food you could eat for breakfast or supper. Ifyou want
t o makea smalleramount,simply halvethequantities.
M A K E S 6 A D U L T PORTIONS

350 g/iz oz undyedsmoked haddock

l o o ml/3% floz double cream
z5g/i oz buffer
ionion, peeled and chopped
iteaspoon mildcurry poste
2009/70z basmatirice, cooked
iteaspoon lemonjuice
2 tablespoonsfresh parsley, chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
salt andpepper
Placethe haddockin a microwave-proof dish and pour overthe cream.Cover
with clingfilm,piercea fewtimes with the tip of a sharp knifeand place in the
microwave on High for 5-6 minutes.Meanwhile,in a frying pan orwok,meltthe
butter and sautetheonion for8 minutes until soft.Stirin thecurry paste and
rice and cookfori minute,stirringcontinuously.Flake in the haddockand add
the cooking liquor, lemon juice, parsley and chopped eggs.Season with salt
and pepper if necessary.

Tuiia Tagliatelle
MAKES 6 ADULT PORTIONS

5 onion, peeledandfinely chopped

25g/i oz butter
itablespoon cornflour
120 mi/4fl oz water
400 9/14 oz conned cream of tomato soup
a pinch of mixeddried herbs
itablespoonfreshparslej chopped
zoo g/7 oz canned tuna, drained andflaked
black pepper
175g/6 ozgreen tagliatelle
itablespoongrated Parmeson cheese
M U S H R O O M CHEESE SAUCE

5 onion, peeledandfinely chopped

4 0 g h 5 oz butter
ioog/4 oz mushrooms, washedandsliced
2 tablespoonspiainfiour
300 mi/io flozmiik
loo g/4 oz Cheddar cheese,grated
Forthe sauce,fry the onion in the butter until transparent,then add the
sliced mushrooms and saute forabout 3 minutes.Add theflour and continue
stirringthe mixture all thetime.When it iswell mixed,add the milkgradually
and cook,stirring until thickened and smooth.Removefrom the heat and stir
I
in thegrated cheese.
Fry the onion i n the butter until soft.Stirthe cornflour intothe water until
dissolved, rnixwith the tomato soup then add to the onion.Add the mixed
dried herbs and fresh parsley and cook,stirring,overa low heatfor5 minutes.
Mix in theflaked tuna and heat through.Season with a little black pepper.
Boil the tagliatelle in water until al dente,then drain.Grease a serving dish
and add the tuna and tomato mixed with the pasta and then the mushroom
cheese sauce.Top with grated ParmesamBake in an oven preheated to
i8ooC/35o"WGasqfor 20 minutes. Brown under a hot grill before serving.

Tuna w i t h Pasta and Tomatoes

The red onion and sunblush tomatoesgivethis pasta dish a lovely flavour
Sunblush tomatoes aresweet,semi-dried tomatoes,and are not as hard
as normal sun-dried tomatoes.
M A K E S 4 PORTIONS

2oog/7ozpenne
2 tablespoons olive oil
i medium red onion, peeled andfinely sliced
4 ripe plum tomatoes, quartered, deseededandroughly chopped
zoog/7ozcanned tuna in oil, drained
75g/3 ozsunblush tomatoes, chopped
i teaspoon balsamicvinegar
a handfuloffresh basil leaves, torn
salt andfreshlyground black pepper
Cookthe penne in boiling salted water accordingto the packet instructions.
Meanwhile, heat theoil in a frying pan,add the onion and cookfor about
6 minutes,stirringoccasionally until softened.Stir in the fresh tomatoes
and cookfor2-3 minutes until beginning t o soften.Add the tuna,sunblush
tomatoes, balsarnicvinegar, basil and seasoning and cookfor 1 minute before
stirring into the pasta and serving.

TODDLERS

169

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Don't be afraid t o t r y out newtasteson your child-this recipeflavoured with
mild curry and coconut sauce isverypopular.Youngchlldren often surprise
us and like quitesophisticatedfoods and it's usualiyeasiertoget children t o
accept newtasteswhiisttheyareyoung.This would makea good meal for
the wholefamily.
(,"iI'.~,o.lb..
,.
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..,.4J*:liiii6.
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i,~,v:.'i3'i(p?vbji
itablespoon soy sauce
itablespoon sake
%teaspoon sugar
iteaspoon cornflour

1% chicken breastscut intastrips

125g/4% oz Chinese noodles
i tablespoon vegetableoil
j spring onions, sliced
igarlicclove, crushed
!h teaspoon red chilll, deseeded andchopped
;iY2-2 teaspoons korma curry paste
150 ml/5fl oz chicken stock (seepage 76)
150 ml/5floz coconut milk
75913 oz baby corn cobs, cut into quarters
ioog/4 oz beansprouts
75g/3 ozfrozen p<as
marinatethe chicken for
the packet instructions,drain
and rinse under cold water. Heatthevegetable oil in a wok or frying pan and stirfrythespringonions,garlicand chilli for about z minutes. Drain the marinade
from thechicken,add t o the wokand continuetostir-fryfor 2 rninutes.Add the
curry paste,chicken stockand coconut miikand cookfor 5 minutes over a low
heat.Add the baby corn and beansprouts and cook for 3-4 rninutes.Add the peas
and cookfor 2 minutes rnore.Add the noodlestothe pan t o heatthrough.

Bar-B-0- Chicken
Agood marinade will transform your barbe~ue~tenderisingthe
meat,as well
asaddinga deliciousflavour.l use a Weber Bar-B-Q,which hasa cover,enabling
me t o barbecue all year roundsevenin England. Use go0 g12 lb breast of chicken,
skinned and on the bone,with these marinades-they also workwell with
beef or lamb.
MAKES4-5 ADULT PORTIONS
HOlSiN MARINADE
2 tablespoonssoy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Itablespoon honey

Itablespoon vegetable oil

%teaspoon crushedgarlic (optional)

TERIYAI(1 MARINADE

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar

2 tablespoonssoy sauce
Itablespoon honey
% tablespoon sesame oil
Iteaspoongratedginger root (optional)
itablespoon slicedspring onion

Mixall the marinade ingredients together.Marinatethechickenfor at least

2 hours,then barbecue, bastingand turning occasionally for15-25 minutes.
Dark meat takes longertocook than white meat.Chicken should be cooked
through, but not overcooked or it will become dry. Ifyou are unsure about
cooking meat thoroughly before thesurfaceis charred,cook it In an oven
preheated t o 2oo"C/4oo"WGas 6for 25-30 minutes and finish it on the
barbecue for a few minutes t o givean authentic flavour.

Chicken Satay
These barbecued chicken skewers are fun t o eat and very popuiarwith
toddlers. Help your child takethe meat offthe skewers,then removethe
skewers-theycouid becomedangerous in the handsof exuberant children.
MAKES 2 ADULT PORTIONS
2 chicken breasts, offthe

bone
peeled
Ismall red pepper, deseeded

Ismall onion,

MARINADE
2 tablespoonspeanut

butter

Itablespoon chicken stock (seepage

Itablespoon rice wine

76)

!I

vinegar

Itablespoon honey
Itablespoon soy sauce
Iteaspoon crushedgorlic(optiona1)

r teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

Mixtogetherthe marinade ingredients.Soak4 bamboo skewers in water

t o prevent them getting scorched.Cut the chicken,onion and pepper into
chunks.Leavethe chicken in the marinade for at least z hours.Thread with
theonion and pepperonto the skewers (orjust use chicken).Cook under
a preheated grill for about 5 minutes each side, bastingoccasionally.
Alternativeiy,cookon a barbecue or griddle.

172

NEW COMPLETE B A B Y & T O D D L E R M E A L P L A N N E R

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Chicken Soup with Pasta

a n d Vegetables . .:i
This is a quickand easy chicken noodle soup that isvery popular with
my threechildren.Vermice1li is fine pasta that comes rolled up in nests
MAKES 6 PORTIONS
ilitre/i3/4

pints chicken stock

itablespoon vegetable oil
ionian,peeled and thinly sliced
igarlic clove, crushed
i25g/4% oz chicken breast, cut into bite-sizedpieces
'/4 teaspoon chicken seasoning
50g/2 ozgreen beans, topped, tailedand cut into short lengths
50 g/2 oz vermicelli or tiny pasta stars
itomato, skinned, deseededand chopped
Make up the chicken stock in a pan usingeither 2 chicken stock cubes and boiling
water, liquid stockfrom a supermarket or my recipeon page76.Meanwhile, heat
thevegetableoil in another saucepan and sautethe onion and garlicfor2 minutes.
Add the chicken,sprinkle with chicken seasoning and saute for i rninute,stirring
occasionally,then add the green beans and saute for3 minutes.Mixthechicken,
onion,green beansand vermicelli with the chicken stock.Bringto the boi1,then
reducethe heat and cookfor 3-4 minutes or until the pasta is cooked and the
beans arejust tender.Stir in the chopped tomato and cook for 1 minute.

M a r i n a t e d Chicken on t h e Griddle oo
I enjoy cooking chicken,meat or fish on a griddle,and it's a really healthy way of
cookingas it usesvery litt1efat.M~three children love this recipe as marinating
the chicken gives it a lovely flavour and makes it more tender.Make sure the
griddle is reaily hot before you lay thefood on it.
MAKES 2 ADULT PORTIONS
2 boneless chicken breasts
Itablespoon oliveoil

MARINADE
I tablespoon lemonjuice

Itablespoon soy sauce

Itablespoon honey
Ismallgarlic clove, peeled andsliced

2 sprigs offresh

rosemary (optional)

Scorethe chicken breasts 2or 3 times with a sharp knife.Season with salt
and pepper.Mix together all the ingredientsforthe marinadeand marinate
thechicken for at least 2 hours. Heat thegriddle, brush with oilthen remove
thechicken from the marinadeand cookfor 4-5 minuteson each side or until
cooked through.Cut into strips and serve with colourful vegetables such as
carrots, broccoli or peas,and chipsor mashed potato.

Mulligatawny Chicken
This recipe hasa tomato base and a mild curry flavourthat children love.lt has
been a family favouritesince I wasa child and was invented by my mother. It is
best served with rice and,for special occasions,you can serve poppadoms as
an accompanirnent.They are availablein most supermarkets.
MAKES 8ADULT PORTIONS
cut into about iopieces,skinned
seasonedflour
vegetable oil
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
6 tablespoons tomato puree
2 tablespoons mildcurry powder
goo ml/i%pints chicken stock (seepage 76)
ilarge or2 small apples, cored and thinly sliced
ismall carrot, peeled and thinlysliced
2 lemon slices
75g/3 ozsultanas
ibay leaf
idessertspoon brown sugar
salt andpepper
ichicken,

Coat thechicken pieces with seasonedflour.Fry invegetableoil until golden

brown. Drain on kitchen paper and place in a casseroledish.
Frytheonion in a littleoil until golden,then stir in the tomato puree.Add the
currypowdera j d continuetostirfora couple of minutesovera low heat.Stir
in ztablespoonsofflour,then pour in 300 m l h o f l ozofthe stock, mixingwell.
11
Add the apple,carrot, lemon slices,sultanas, bay leaf and the rest of thestock.
Season with brown sugar,salt and pepper. Pourthesauceoverthechicken in the
casserole,cover and cookfori hour in an oven preheated to18o"C/35o"F/Gas4.
Removethe lemon slices and bay 1eaf;take thechicken offthe bone and cut it
into pieces.

176

NEW COMPLETE BABY & TODDLER M E A L PLANNER

ijesaime C[hiiciken~NUI
wYi[hCh[me!seSaujce
These crisp sesame-coated nuggets in a tas
good served with Special Fried Rice (see
these with chopsticks-you can buy plasticch
atthe topand areveryeasy forchildren t o use.Ses
allergic reaction in young children.Although this is ver
closely, particularly if he is allergicto an
such as eczema or asthma.
h!ZYZ$ i@
lTtUE@Z!B
2 chicken breasts, off the bone andskinned

oo g/4 oz sesame seeds

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

gCirmL<fz wiw3
250 m1/8fl oz unsaltedchicken stock (seepage 76)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
i teaspoon sesame oil
Itablespoon caster sugar
Iteaspoon cider vinegar
Itablespoon cornflour
Ispring onion,flnely sliced
Cut each chicken breast into
the milkand dipthe nuggets
coat with sesame seeds. F
frequently,untii golde
ingredients forthe sauc
Bring tothe boil and t
pringonion and pou

otheeggandfinaily
turningthechicken

TODDLERS

Red meats

An na bel's Tasty Beefburgers :%< o o

The grated apple makes these beefburgers really moist and tasty.Serve in a bun
with salad and ketchup,and some oven-baked chips.They are alsogood cooked
on a barbecue In summer. Ifyou wanttofreeze burgers it's best tofreeze them
uncooked on a tray lined with clingfilm.Then,whenfrozen,wrapeach one
individually in clingfilm sothat you can remove and defrostthem as and when
you need them.
MAKES 8 BURGERS

%red pepper, cored, deseeded and chopped

ionion, peeled andfinely chopped
itablespoon vegetable oil
45og/i lb lean minced beef or lamb
itablespoonfresh parslej chopped
ichicken stock cube,finely crumbled
iapple,peeledandgrated
iegg, lightly beaten
25g/i ozfresh breadcrumbs
iteaspoon Worcestershiresauce
salt andfreshlyground black pepper
a little plainflour
vegetable oilfor brushing agriddlepan orforfrying
Frythe red pepper and halfthe onion in thevegetable oil forabout 5 minutes
or until softened. In a mixing bowl,combine the sauteed onion, pepper and
remaining rawpnion with all the ingredients exceptforthe flour and vegetable
o i l . ~ i t h f l o u r e dhands,form into 8 burgers. Brush a griddle pan with a little oil
and,when hot,place4 burgerson thegriddle and cookforabout 5 minuteseach
sideor until browned and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining burgers.
Alternatively,fry in a little hot oil in a shallowfrying pan.Serve the burgers on
their own or in a toasted hamburger bun with salad and ketchup.

178

NEW COMPLETE BABY &TODDLER MEAL PLANNER

Cocl<taiI Meatballs with

Tomato Sauce :::o o
MAKES 6 PORTIONS
TOMATO SAUCE

tablespoons light olive oil

onion,peeled andchopped
igarlicclove, crushed
250 g/g ozfresh ripe tomatoes, skinned, deseededandchopped
4 0 0 9/14 oz canned tomatoes, chopped
i teaspoon balsamic vinegar
i teaspoon castersugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
i tablespoonfresh basil, torn
1%

imedium

MEATBALLS

350 g/?zDZ lean minced beef

i medium onion,peeledandfinely chapped
iGranny Smith apple, peeled andgrated
50912 mfresh white breadcrumbs
i tablespoonfresh parsley, chopped
i chicken stock cube,flnelycrumbled and dissolved in 2 tablespoons boiling water
salt andfreshlyground black pepper
plain flourforforming meatballs
vegetable oilforfrying
To makethe tqinato sauce, heattheoil in a saucepan and gently cook the
onion and garlic until softened.Stir in thefresh tomatoesand cookfor 1 minute.
Add the canned tomatoes,vinegar,sugar and seasoning and cook for 20 minutes
over a low heat.Add the basil and then blend in a food processorto make a
smooth sauce.
Meanwhile,mix together the ingredientsforthe meatballs.Usingfloured
hands,form into about 24 balls. Heat theoil in afryingpan and saute the
meatballs overafairly high heat,turningoccasionally,until browned,then
reducethe heat and continuetocookforabout 5 minutes.Pouroverthe
tomato sauceand continue tocook,covered,for 10-15 minutes.

Mini Minute Steaks oo

These mini steaks with a full-flavoured gravyand sauteed potatoes are
absolutely delicious.
MAKES 2 ADULT OR 4 CHILD PORTIONS
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
ionion,

peeled and thinly sliced

iteaspoon castersugar
itablespoon water

2 0 0 ml/7floz

beef stock
mixed with
1 tablespoon water
afew drops of Worcestershiresauce
iteaspoon tomato puree
salt and pepper
350 9/72 oz peeled potatoes
q g / i oz butter
4 X 609/21/2 ozminutesteaks fillet or rump), about5 m m P h inch thick
i teaspoon cornflour

To make thegravy, heat itablespoon ofthevegetableoil in a fryingpan.Add

theonion and cook'for7-8 minutes untiljust turning golden brown.Stir in the
sugar and water,increase the heat and cookfor about 1 minute until the water
has evaporated.Stir in the beefstock,cornflour mixed with 1tablespoon water,
Worcestershire sauce and tomato puree.Season with salt and pepper.Cook,
stirring,for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
Forthe sauteed potatoes,cutthe potatoes into largechunks, bringtothe
boil in lightly salted water and cookfor about X minutes until they arejust
tender. Drain and cut into1 cm11/2 inch-thickslices. Heat the butter in a frying
pan and saute the potatoesfor 5-6 minutes,turningoccasionaliy until golden
brown and crispy.
Heat the remaining oil in afrying pan,season the steaks and fry for
1-2 minuteseach side.Serve with the gravy and sauteed potatoes.

Shi-edded Bee-Fwi-tii Broccoli

Aquick and easy-to-prepare beef stir-fry with a tasty sauce.To toast sesame
seeds,stir-frythem in a dryfrying pan for a couple of minutes until golden,
stirringto make surethat they don't burn.
MAKES 4 A D U L T PORTIONS

175916oz rice
itablespoon sesameoil
%tablespoon sunflower oil
ionion, peeled and chopped
igarlic clove, crushed
imedium carrot,peeled andcut into matchsticks
l o o g/4 oz broccoliflorets
250g/9 oz beeffillet, cut intofine strips
itablespoon cornflour
150 ml/5 floz beef stock
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1% tablespoonssoy sauce
itablespoon toastedsesameseeds
Cookthe riceaccording tothe packet instructions.Heatthe sesame oil and
sunflower oil in a wokorfrying pan and stir-frytheonion and garlicfor3-4
m1nutes.Add the carrot and broccoli and stir-fry for 2 minutes.Add the beef
strips and stir-fry for4-5 minutes.Mix the cornflourwith r tablespoon o f cold
water and stir intothe beef stock.Stirthis intothe pan,together with thesugar,
soy sauce and toasted sesameseeds. Bringto a simmerand cookforz minutes.
Serve with the cooked rice.

A really good home-made tomato sauce is always popular-it can be sewed

with any typeof pasta and maybe freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

4i l:ra:Kc<*,>,%
3 tablespoons olive oil
ionion,peeledandchopped
r garlicclove, peeledand crushed
4 ripe tomatoes, skinned, deseededand chopped
4oog/i4 oz canned tomatoes, chopped
a pinch of sugar
r bay leaf
2 tablespoonsfresh basil, chapped
salt and pepper
250 g/g ozspagheiti
(,",y:yS:?,

Heat theoil in a saucepan and saute theonion and garlicfor 5-6 minutes until
softened.Add the fresh and canned tomatoes,sugar, bay leaf and chopped basil,
then season with salt and pepper. Bring t o a simmer and cook f o r m minutes.
Meanwhile,cookthespaghetti accordingto the packet instructions. Drain the
pasta and mixwith the sauce.

Bow-Ties with Gruyere and Cherry

Tomatoes o o
Agreatfavourite with my children,this can be eaten eitherwarm or cold.
MAKES 4 PORTIONS

175g/6 oz bow-tie pasta

i tablespoon white wine vinegar
j tablespoons olive oil
%teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
a pinch of sugar
a littlesalt andfreshlyground blackpepper
i tablespoonfresh chives,snipped
ioog/4 ozcherry tomatoes, halvedorquartered
50g/2 oz Gruyere cheese,grated
Cookthe pasta /n lightly salted water accordingto the packet instructions.
Make a vinaigrdtte by mixingtogetherthevinegar,oil, mustard (if using),sugar
and seasoning,then add the snipped chives.Drain the pasta and put intoa bowl,
then mix with the cherry tomatoes and grated Gruysre cheese.Shakethe
vinaigrette,pouroverthe pasta and toss well tocoat.

Three Cheese Sauce

QQ

This makes a really delicious,creamy cheese sauce for pasta.Ifyou like you can
add a couple of slices of good-quality cooked haqshredded.
MAKES 4 PORTIONS

30 g/i oz butter
30 9'1 0Zfl0uf
300 ml/ii floz milk
5og/z oz Gruyere cheese,grated
40g/1v2 oz Parmesan cheese,grated
isog/5 oz mascarponecheese
Melt the butter,stirin theflour and cook for1 minute.Cradually add the milk,
then continue tostirfors minutes overa low heat until the sauce thickens.
Removefrom the heat, stir in the Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses until melted,
then stir in the mascarpone.

Spaghetti Primavera
Asimple recipefor spaghetti with springvegetables in a tasty cheese sauce.
Youcould alsomakethis with pastashapes.
MAKES 4 PORTIONS

75og/5 ozspaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
I onion, chopped
igarlic clove, crushed
imedium carrot (approx. 75913 oz) cut into matchsticks
imedium courgette (approx. 75g/3 oz) cut into matchsticks
i25g/4% oz cauliflowercut intosmallflorets
150 ml/5flozlight cremefraiche
150 m1/5f/ oz vegetable stock (seepage@)
50 g/2 ozfrozen peas
5og/2 ozfresh Parmesan cheese,grated
Cook thespaghetti accordingto the packet ir(structions.~tthe same time
heatthe oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and saute the onion and garlic
for1 minute.Add the carrot and courgette matchsticksand saute,stirring
occasionally,for 2-3 rninutes.Meanwhile, blanch thecauliflower in lightly
salted boiling waterfor 5 minutesor steam until tender.Add thecremefraiche,
vegetablestockand peas tothecarrot and courgette and stirin.Cookfor
2-3 minutes beforestirring in the Parmesan.Drain thespaghetti and toss
with the sauce.

Fruit

Apple and Blackberry Crumble $3 oo

A really good crumble bursting with fruit is comfort food at itsvery best and
very easy t o prepare. Ithinkfruits with a slightly tart flavour are best in a
crumble.Agood combination is400 g11 lb rhubarb,thinly sliced and mixed with
l o o gl4ozstrawberries and 4tablespoons of caster sugar-this doesn't need
any pre-cooking.You could also makethis in individual ramekins.Sprinklingthe
dish with the ground almondsensures some ofthe liquid is absorbed,so that it
doesn't bubbleoverthetop.You don't need todothis ifusing small ramekins.
MAKES 6 PORTIONS
4og/1% oz buffer
750 g/' Ib 11oz eating apples (e.g. Gala, Pink Lady), peeled, cored and chopped
2% tablespoons soft brown sugar
350 g/12 oz blackberries,fresh orfrozen
2 tablespoonsgroundalmonds ((fusing one largedish)
CRUMBLETOPPING

i ~ o g / 5ozplainflour
a generous pinch of salt
ioog/4 ozcold butter, cut into cubes
85g/3% oz demerara sugar
25 g/i oz porridge oats
Meltthe butter in a large pan and saute the chopped apples with thesugar
for 3-4 minutes,stirringoccasionaliy.Finally,stir in the blackberries.
Sprinkle the baseof a 2 0 cm18 inch round,glass ovenproof dish with the
ground almonds!~hishelps t o soak up some of thejuices.Spoon thefruit over
the top.~iternadvely,make individual portions and spoon the fruit into six
1ocm/3% inch ramekin dishes.The ramekins will seem quitefull but the fruit
will reducedown as it cooks.
To makethetopping,whiz thefiour,salt, butter and sugar in a food processor
and then stir in the porridgeoats.Alternatively,mixtogethertheflour,salt and
sugar,and then rub in the butterusingyourfingers;stirin the porridge oats.
Preheat the oven toi80C13500FIGas4.Sprinkle the crumble topping over
the fruit and bake in the oven for 35 minutes.

Really simple and quick t o prepare,these individual mini-cheesecakesare made

in muffin casesand don't need any baking.Everyone in my family thinks they
areyummy.Great fora tea party or birthday celebration.They are also fun for
children t o make themselves.lfyou don't wantto make these in paper cases
you could also make them in small glass ramekins.
MAKES 6 MINI-CHEESECAKES

6 digestive biscuits
5 o g h oz butter
1xz5og/g oz tub mascarponecheese
6 tablespoons lemon curd
Itablespoon lemonjuice
120 ml/4fl oz double cream
j teaspoons lemon curd (optional)

Line a muffin tray with 6 large paper cases. Put the biscuits in a bag and crush
them into crumbs usinga rolling pin.Melt the butter and stir in the crumbs.
Dividethecrumbs between the muffin cases and use clean fingers t o press
firmly intothe base.Chill in thefridge whilstyou prepare the filling.
Beattogetherthe mascarpone cheese, lemon curd and lemon juice in an
electric mixer.Whip the cream until itjust holds its shape (soft peaks). Fold the
cream into thecheese mixture.Spoon the filling into the paper cases. If you like
you can topeach one with half a teaspoon of lemon curd and swirl this with
a cocktail stick t o make a pattern.

190

NEW COMPLETE BABY &TODDLER M E A L PLANNER

AnnabelJs Bread and

Butter Pudding oo
This is the perfect puddingfor when the cupboard is pretty bare. It is also
delicious made with raisin bread,cholla or sliced panettonecake.
MAKES 4 A D U L T PORTIONS

3 o g / ~ %oz butter a t room temperature,plus extraforgreasing

4 slices white bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons apricotjam
50 912 oz raisins
250 m1/8fl oz double cream
250 m1/8floz milk
1teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggsplusyolkof T egg
50 912 oz casteriugar

reheat theov2n to16o"C/3r5"F/Gas 3.Spread a thin layer of butter on the

bread,then spread on the apricotjam:Cut the bread into triangles. Lightly butte~
a 21 x i 6 x 6 cm(approx.i.5 litres) rectangular baking dish.Arrange the slices of
bread in the bakingdish and scatter overthe raisins.Whisk togetherthe cream,
milk,vanilla,eggs and sugar and pourthis overthe bread.The bread should not
be completely covered but should stick up out ofthecream mixture so thatthe
top becomes crisp. Put the bakingdish in a large roastingtin and pour boiling
waterto halfway up thedish. Bakefor40-45 minutes.

Ice Lollies
Make upyour own flavours. Experiment with different combinations like purhed
and strained fresh or frozen berries sweetened with a little icingsugar and mixed
with cranberry or blackcurrantjuice.You can also mix in some yoghurt such as
mini-probioticdrinkingyoghurts.Try blendinga t i n of lychees with a little lemon
or limejuice and sieve fora refreshing ice lolly.

Strawberry Sorbet Lollies

,l

oo

Ifthere is one food that no child can resist it's an ice lolly.Most shop-bought
lollies arefull of artificial flavouring and colouring so it's much betterto make
your own fromfreshfruit.Strawberries contain higher levelsof vitamin C
than any other berries.Two-tone ice lollies arefun. Half-fill the moulds with
thestrawberry sorbet,freezefora couple of hours and then pouroveran
orange-coloured juice like apple and mango ortropical fruitjuice.
M A K E S 4 ICE LOLLIES

jog/]% oz castersugar
40 ml/il3/4ff oz vyater
250 g/g oz strawberries, hulled and cut in half
juice of Imedium orange (approx. 40 ml/r3Afl ozJ
Putthe sugar and water intoa saucepan and boil until syrupy (about 3 minutes).
Allowtocool.Purhe the strawberries with an electric hand blender and combine
with thecooled syrup and orangejuice,then pourthis mixture into ice lolly
moulds. Freeze until solid.

TODDLERS

193

Peach and Passion Fruit Lollies +:+

oo
Choose passionfruitwith wrinkled skins as theseare ripeand have the
sweetestflavour.
MAKES 6 ICE LOLLIES

juice of 2 large oranges

strainedjuice of3passion fruit
2 ripejuicy peoches, skinned, stoned ondchopped
icing sugarto taste
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.Pour into
ice lolly mouldsand freeze.

Grandma's Lolcshen Pudding c,o

Lokshen isvermicelli:veryfineegg noodles
MAKES 4ADULT PORTIONS

225g/8 oz vermicelli
7 large egg, beaten
25gh oz butter, melted
250 m118floz milk
7 tablespoon vanillasugarorcostersuga~
%teaspoon mixedspice
75g/3 oz each sultanas and raisins
afewflokedalmo~ds (optional)
Cookthevermicelsi in boilingwaterfor about 5rninutes.Drain and mixwith
the remaining ingredients. Place in a g@ased,shallow bakingdish,and bake
in an oven preheated t o i 8 0 C 1 ~ ~ o " F l G a s ~about
f o r 30 minutes.

194

NEW COMPLETE BABY &TODDLER M E A L PLANNER

Frozen Strawberry Yoghurt

Ice Cream o o
Adelicious easy-to-makefrozen-yoghurt ice cream usingonly natural
ingredients.You can also make a peach melbafrozen yoghurt usingfresh
raspberries,pureed and strained,and peach yoghurt.1 like to serve this
asa Knickerbocker Glory in a tall glass with fresh berries.
MAKES 6 ADULT PORTIONS

1oog/4 ozcastersugar
j o o ml/iofloz water
350g/12 ozfresh strawberries
j o o ml/lo flozstrawberryyoghurt
150 ml/5 floz double cream, whipped
iegg white, whisked
Put the sugar in a saucepan with the water, bringto the boil and continue
to boil for 5 minutesto make a syrup.Set aside tocool for a few minutes.
Puree the strawberries and press through a sieve, then mix with the syrup
and stir in the yoghurt and whipped cream.Churnfor10 minutes in an ice
cream-making m$chine,then fold in the whipped egg white and churn
for another to minutes or untilfirm.
This can also be made without an ice cream machine but it will be more
time-consuming. Pourthe mixture into afreezerproof plasticcontainer and
freeze. Remove and whiskwhen semi-frozen,then return tothefreezer.
Whisk again after1 hour,fold in the whipped egg white,freeze again and
whisktwice moreduringthefreezing process.

You can use ready-roiled sheetsof puff pastry,which only need t o be unrolled
and baked -so it couldn't be simpierto make these delicious pastries.
Alternatively,usea blockof puff pastry and roll it out yourself.
!<ill<!X,f$ :g !fit!$$,
$;>g!:

ijdAVp:@

300 g/11 oz puffpastry

40g/1% oz buffer
4og/1% oz castersugar
legg
afew drops of almond essence
50 g/2 ozgroundalmonds
q g / i oz melted buffer
j small eating apples
caster sugarforsprinkling
2 tablespoons apricotjam, strained
Itablespoon lemonjuice
6 glacP cherries

Preheat the oven to2oo'C/4oo"F/Gas 6.Cut 6circlesout ofthe pastlyusinga

round pastry cutter (approx.10 cml4inches)orcut around a plate usinga sharp
knife.To makethealmondfiliing,cream togetherthe butter and sugar until soft.
then beat in theegg,afew dropsof almond essence and theground almonds t o
make a smooth cream. Prickthe pastry afewtimes with aforkand brush with
a little melted butter.Spread someofthealmond cream overeach ofthecircles.
Peel and c o r e t ~ eapples,then cut in half and slicethinly.Arrangethesliced
fruit around the p4strycircles.Brush with a little melted butter,sprinkleover
some caster suga ,and bake in the preheated oven for about 2 0 minutesor until
the pastry is crispand the fruit iscooked.Transferthetartstoa wire racktocool.
Warm thejam and lemon juice in a small saucepan and then brush thefruit
with a littleofthe melted,strained apricotjam toglaze the tarts.Decoratethe
centreof each tart with a glace cherry.

Carrot and Pineapple Muffins

These areabsolutely delicious,andvery hea1thytoo;they never last long
in our house!
MAKES ABOUT13 M U F F I N S

l o o g/4 oz plainpour
1oog/4 ozplain wholemealflour
iteaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
i teaspoon ground cinnamon
i teaspoon groundginger
%teaspoon salt
175 m1/6p oz vegetable oil
75 g/3 oz caster sugar
2 eggs

125g/4% ozgrated carrots

225g/8 oz canned crushedplneapple, drained
l o o g4 o r raisins
Preheat the oven t o i8o"C1350"WGas4.Sift togetherthe flours, baking powder,
bicarbonateof so'da,cinnamon,ginger and salt and mixweli.Beattheoil,sugar
and eggs together until well blended. Add the grated carrots,crushed pineapple
and raisins.Gradually add theflour mixture, beatingjust enough t o combine
all theingredients.
Pourthe batter into muffin trays lined with papercases and bakeforabout
25 minutes or until golden.(These can becooked in fairy-cake trays, butyou
will need t o reducethecooking time.) Cool on a wire rack.

TODDLERS

197

Animal Cupcakes $3oo

Fairycakes are always popularand children will have fun decoratingthem t o look
like animals.To make chocolatecupcakes (for'hedgehogs'or'dogs'!) substitute
25gh oz cocoa for 25 g11ozof the self-raisingflour and use the chocolate icing.
MAKES 10 CAKES

i4og/5 oz softened butter or margarine

140915ozgolden castersugar
3 eggs
r teaspoon pure vanilla extract
125g/4% oz self-raisingjlour
GLACE ICING

225g/8 oz icing sugar, sieved

about 2% tablespoons warm water
afew drops offood colouring
CHOCOLATE ICING

60 912% ozrnilk chocolate

60 g/2% oz softened butter
85913% oz icing sugar, sieved
DECORATION

Assorted sweets e.g. LiquoriceAllsorts, Jelly Tots, wine gums, M&Ms, liquorice laces,
chocolateflakes, black writing icing and mini-marshmallows t o r sheep)
Preheat the oven toigo'C1375'F/Gas5. Linea bun or muffin tray with i o paper
cases.Putall the ingredientsforthecakes intoa hixing bowl and beatforabout
2 minutes until smooth. Divide the mixture betdeen thecases so they arefilled
two-thirdsof the way up.Bakefor 18-20 minutes until risen and lightly golden.
To maketheglaceicing,mixtheicingsugar withenough warm watertomake
a spreadingconsistency,then divide intothree before you stir in thevarious
colourings. Use sweets and the black writing icing t o decorate.
Forthe chocolate icing, breakthechocolate into piecesand microwave on
highfori-2 minutes until melted,or melt in a bowl set over a pan o f simmering
water.Cream the butterand sugartogether,then beat in the chocolate and
spread on the cakes. Decorate with chocolate flakes t o look like hedgehogs.
l98

NEW COMPLETE BABY &TODDLER MEAL P L A N N E R

These are soeasy t o make and are really delicious. Bakedforonly 12 minutes,
they should bequitesoftwhenthey aretakenoutoftheoven sothat whenthey
cool down they are lovely and moist.
MAKES 20 COOKIES

roog/4 oz unsalted butter or margarine at room temperature

roo 914 oz caster sugar
roog/4 oz brown sugar
7 egg
r teaspoon vanilla essence
7759/6 oz plainflour
% teaspoon baking powder
'/q teaspoon salt
r75g/6 oz white chocolate buttons
75913 ozpecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)

Beatthe butter or margarine togetherwith the sugars.With a fork, beatthe

egg togetherwith thevanilla and add this t o the butter mixture.
In a bowl,mix togetherthe flour, baking powder and salt.Add this tothe
butter and egg mixture and blend well.
Breakthe chocolate buttons intosmaller pieces with a rolling pin or in a food
processor,and stirthese,together with the nuts (if using), into the mixture.
Line several bakingsheets with non-stick baking paper and roll thedough into
walnut-sized balls. Putthese onto the sheets,spaced well apart, and bake in an

Yoghurt a n d Raisin Cupcalces

.;.

The yoghurt and ground almonds keep these cupcakes lovely and moist.Ifyou
like you could spread the topsofthecakes with glace icing,as in the Animal
Cupcakes (page198),although I preferto leave them plain.
M A K E S 12 CAKES

!
1
l

15oml/5flozpot naturalyoghurt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
7 teaspoon vanilla extract
175916 ozgolden caster sugar
140g/5 oz self-raisingflour
loo g/4 oz ground almonds
1teaspoon bakingpowder
agoodpinch ofsalt
175g/6 oz butter, melted
75 913 oz raisins
I C aas12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
Preheattheoven to 1 g o ~ C 1 ~ ~ ~ ~5.FLine
Put the yoghurt,eggs andvanilla extract in a jug and mix together.ln a large
bowl,combine thesugar,flour,ground almonds, baking powder and salt and
makea well in the centre.Pour in the yoghurt mixtureand the melted butter
and quicklyfold in thedry ingredients.Takecare nottoovermix.Finally,toss
the raisins in a littleflour and fold intothe mixture.
Spoon the batter into the papercases.Theywil1 be quitefull. Bakefor18-20
minutes or until risen and springy to the touch. Cool fora few minutesand then
transfer toa wire racktocool completely.

TODDLERS

201

" ' , " .L

A
>

lV\yFavo~iriteChocola-te Biscui-L
Squares
Thesearegreatfora children's party orteatimetreat.You could usejust milk
chocolateor plain chocolate ifyou prefer,and you could use only digestive
biscuits.You can also substitutesome mini marshmallowsforthe dried apricots
MAKES 16 CHOCOLATE BISCUIT SQUARES

roog/i oz digestive biscuits

ioog/4 ozgingerbiscuits
i5og/5 oz milkchocolate
ioog/4 ozplain chocolate
85 g/3 ozgolden syrup
85g/3 oz unsalted butter
l o o g/4 oz ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped
50 g/2 oz raisins
40 g/'% oz Rice Krispies
Lightly greaseand line a 20cm18 inch square shallowtin.Break the biscuits,
place in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin t o form coarse crumbs.
Melt the chocolate,syrup and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan
o f simmering water.Alternatively, melt in a microwave on High for 2%-3
minutes,stirring halfway through.Stir in the biscuit crumbs until well coated.
then add the chopped apricotsand raisins and,finally,stir in the Rice Krispies.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Level the surface,pressingdown
with a masher,andput in the fridge t o set.Cut into squares beforeserving.

INDEX

INDEX

appie,apricot and 58
delicious vegetable rissoles153
and basil pasta sauce 86
bow-tieswith CruyL.re184
and carrots with basil 61
chicken in tomatosauce80
andcourgette parra stars 84
salmon wlth carrotrand72-3
tuna w ~ t h
pasta and169
tropical loliiesio8,log
tuna
with oasta and tomatoes169
p t t a backet 167
and sweetcorn stuffed potato152
tag late le 168
toasted muffins167

"

vegetables 19,22,23,24,52.96
Annabe 'S nidden.vegetsb etomaro

sauce 156-7
babycereal and 39
and cheese pasta sauce 84,85
and cheese potatafiiiingl~~
in cheese sauce 114
chicken with summer?25
chicken with winter126
delicious rissoles153
finger food 97
home-made fast food pizza158-g
and lentil purGen2
lovely lentils 60-1
minestrone70
multicolouredcasseralen?
my favour1tc5pan~sh
Omelette155
pasta she icanfett~i3j
pastarhelirw th h~ddenvegerable
8oiognese136
pasta stars withveggieraucel38-g
spaghetti primavera186-7
svec~alfriedriceiso
stacl38
sweet medley 39

,Lkdki@~~lh'Jp~iX3
l a m indebtedtothefoilowingpeoplefortheir helpandadviceduringthe
writingofthis book.
Margaret Lawson,Senior Lecturer in Paediatric Nutrition, Instituteof
Child Health; Professor Charles Brook,Consultant Paediatric ~ndocrinolo~ist,
Middlesex Hospital; Dr SamTucker FRCP,Consultant Paediatrician, Hillingdon
Hospital; DrTim Lobstein,specialist in chiidren'sf od and nutrition atThe

London Food Commission;Carol NockSRN FCN.M dwife.

Thanks also to:Jacqui M0rley;MaryJones; ~lizabeehJones; Caroline Stearns
and Aureiia Stearns,my stunningcovergiri,piusall the babiesand their
parents who helped with the photographyforthis edition. Everyone at Ebury,
especially Sarah Laveile,VickyOrchard,Carey Smith and Fiona Macintyre;
everyoneat Smith & Gilmourfortheiriovelydesign; Dave Kingfor his beautiful
photography; Nadine Wickendenforthe gorgeous illustrations. M y mother,
Evelyn Etkind,forail herencouragement in writingthis book.David Karmei,
for his patience in teaching me h o w t o use a computer. And, most important
ofail,my husband Simon,my chiefguinea pig.forall hissupport.

sweet puree66
tastyfirh w1thcheesesauceand71
tastyricewith meat and 132
vegetariand~etr53
~itaminsl0,ll-12
Water8,1~25,145
watercress, potatoandcourgette
puree40
watermelonand raspberry
loll1esio8.1og
weaning8.22-5
wheat intalerancei3.14.15
yoghurt9
fresh fruitwith yoghurt dipno
frozen strawberryyoghurt
ice cream i g ~
and fruit59
fruitygg
and r a m cupcakes 201

Annabel Karmel's
i recognisethat howyou feed your baby isone ofthe most important
decisionsyou makeforyour child,so i have deviseda new rangeof
equipment and food t o heipyou.The range provides everything you
needto make fresh food for your baby or toddler. it includes:

@BabyFood Grinder
$3 Electric Hand Blender

@FoodCubeTrays
@Rocket Ice Lolly Moulds
&Sauces and Pastas
All are availablefrom Boots stores and from www.Boots.com.
For delicious recipes from the range,visit my website
www.annabelkarmel.com

It's good t o be a bitfussy about what you eatthese days.That's why

l have created a new range of tasty,yet healthy meals made especially
for children.They're baianced,mouth-watering mealsforyoung
children aged 1 to4withoutthefuss.What's more,l'm veryfussy
jabout what goes into them so i only use the best natural ingredients.

1$3 Scrummy Chicken Dumplings with Rice

, @Mummy's FavouriteSalmon and Cod Fish Pie
@Beef Cottage Pie
@YummyChicken Curry
$3 Hiddenvegetable Pasta
@Cheeky Chicken and Potato Pie
@Teddy Bear Pizzas
@ Meatballs with Spaghetti andTomato Sauce
Lookfor Eat Fussy in the chilled section of your local supermarket:
just ask!

Any mother who does not have at least one

of her books in her kitchen .. .should waste no
time in putting that right.
Annabel KarmeZ, the babyfood guru whose
cookery books rank second only to Delia Smith
in the bestseller list.
The classic, bestselling cookbook
for babies and toddlers - now with
illustrations and new recipes
Since it was published in igg1,Annabel Karmel's essential
guide t o feeding babies and young children has become
established asa classic.Word-of mouth recommendation,
a thumbs up from the babies themselvesand terrific reviews
have ensured that the book has remained the number one
bestseller in this area ever since.
In this brand-new, illustrated edition,Annabel has brought
her collection of mouthwatering recipes up t o date,with new
dishes,up-to-the-minute adviceand tips,and stunning colour
photographs. Plus she offers time-saving menu charts t o help
you shopand plan ahead,all based on her experiences as
a busy mother of three.
Keep this book in your kitchen and your baby is guaranteed
thevery best start in life.
Annabel Karmel has written fifteen booksabout cooking for
babies,olderchildren and families. Shewas the children's food
expert on Channel 4'sRichardandludyShowand now has her
own'MakeYour Own'rangeof equipment and foods t o help
parents preparefresh baby food,as well as'Eat Fussy'chilled
ready meals.

babiesand children and has been translated into

over 20 ianguages.This new edition takes in all
the latest research in child nutrition, includes new
improved versions ofthe original recipes,25 brand
new recipes and photographs that bringthe
recipes t o life.
With g o per cent ofjunkfood being bought
by parentsfortheir kids and morethan one in
five under-fours in Britain overweight we need t o
bring back homecooking. Forthe past 16 years I've
probably spent more time in the kitchen cooking up
healthy children's meals than anyone in the country
and all the recipes are tested on a panel o f babies
and toddiers.With a little bit o f help from the book,
you too can be making really nutritious food that's
easy t o prepare and plate-lickingly good. l can also
promise that you and your kids will love the results
without spending hours in the kitchen.
I hope you enjoytheadviceand recipes in this book
as much as I have enjoyed creating them ...

Annabel Karmel